Past Present and Future
by notcreativeenoughtomakeone
Summary: The sequel to The future isn't written.For three years the gang and family have lived in peace, but after the death of a friend,the past returns to haunt them.When the french government targets them,is it just a coienceidence or not.M for explict violence
1. Your supposed to be dead

**To understand the story you might want to read The Future isn't written, because this is the sequel. It is set three years after the events in part one. After part one I got bored and needed something to occupy my time. Fixed, by the way.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own code lyoko, this applies for all chapters.**

Xi awoke from the sound of his alarm clock buzzing on his night stand. Laying next to him was Angela who was starting the hear the noise.

" Five more minutes," she mumbled, cuddling closer to him. Stopping the alarm Xi stood up and stretched and looked at Angela who was looking up at him. She was only wearing her panties and bra when she rose to her feet and began to put her pajama pants back on. They had been through this routine dozens of times; Angela and Xi would sleep together, wake up early so she could sneak back to her room before the other students began to wake up.

" Well time for a shower," Xi said taking his shirt off.

" I need one to. Hurry up though, I wanna quicky before class starts."

They gave each other a long kiss and Angela left his room to go back to hers. Xi grabbed his towel and left, locking the door behind him. Taking a quick shower he walked to the mirror in the bathroom and shook the water out of his long dark brown hair that passed his eyes. He was looking more like his father, Ulrich Stern everyday. The only facial similarity with his mother he shared was his eyes were slightly slanted from being half Japanese. His muscles were built from working out every chance he had, every other chance was with Angela.

Angela was doing the same thing he was in the girls bathroom. Rubbing her hair with a towel to dry it, she placed the towel on the sink next to hers and began to decide how she should wear her hair today.

She loved her hair. Mainly because it was the most unique natural hair color, pink. Her mothers hair was the same way, though a little brighter. Angela did not inherit the full color, which disappointed her. After she messed with her hair she began to look at her body, possible the only thing she loves as much as her hair or Xi. Slender and smooth with a tan tone to it. Satisfied with her appearance she walked out of the bathroom and to her room.

When she walked in, her roommate looked shocked up from the door shutting. Looking up she asked, " Angela, your up early, or were you with Xi again?" she asked, knowing very well about what goes on at night, squirming slightly under the blankets.

" With Xi," she answered dropping her towel and slipping on a pair of panties.

" Why put them on, you'll be taking them off in three minutes," said the roommate, laughing to herself how true that statement was.

Angela put on a bra and said, " I'm very horny this week, I can't help myself."

" Your horny every week. It's seems like yesterday you were asking me advise on the right time to do it, and now I'm taking advise from you on how to do it. You went from virgin to slut in a year."

" I'm not a slut. Slut means I sleep with multiple guys, I've only slept with one," Angela protested, slipping on a pair of jeans that barely fit. She then put on a long sleeved shirt and pushed her hair behind her shoulders. " How do I look?" Angela asked.

" Like a slut," she said with no enthusiasm.

" Your not very nice you know that," she said grabbing her purse. She saw her roommates blankets move though she didn't and said, " Morning Odd." and walked out the door.

" You could've at least stopped, do you know how hard it was to keep a straight face with you doing that?" She asked pulling the blankets up and looking at Odd Della Robbia jr who had his head between her legs, her panties on her left ankle.

Odd jr pulled his head up and said, " Sorry, just couldn't resist."

" Don't stop now," she said, placing her hand on his head and pushing it back into her lap.

---

Meanwhile Xi and Angela had locked the door and Xi was giving her the quicky she wanted. For five minutes she was on top, moving her hips in whatever fashion felt the best. The school bell ring as the dormitories doors opened and the students went for the showers. Angela got off him and began to put her pants back on. Xi did the same and they looked both ways in the hallway and made for the cafeteria.

Odd jr was already in the cafeteria with Angela's roommate Carla when the two arrived with Xi's arm around her lower back. They got in the line and got their food, sitting across from Odd jr and Carla who were looking over notes for a test.

Odd jr was eating his food fast and Angela looked at him and asked, " Haven't you eaten enough this morning?" Carla laughed and began to blush.

" You know me. One lick of something I like and I can't stop licking it?" Carla grew even redder and Xi shook his head.

" I'm trying to eat here," Xi said with the fork halfway to his mouth before Odd jr's last comment.

" Seriously. Not at breakfast," Angela added in, unable to enjoy her food with Odd jr's adult theme remarks. Which is ironic because she brought it up not him. " What's on today's agenda?" she asked everybody at the table.

" A test in history, the project in art, and something for world cultures," Xi said, finally getting his apatite back.

" Wanna ditch study hall?" she asked Xi.

" Can't today. My study hall is before history so I need to study there so the material is fresh in my mind the next period," Xi answered, taking a drink of his coffee.

" Fair enough. I have history first hour," Angela groaned.

" Have fun with that."

---

The day progressed normally. They attended their classes, went to lunch, went to dinner, and went to their dorms. Angela slept with Xi again, and Odd jr with Carla. Angela had initiated the sex session that night and woke up early the next morning to beat the crowds to the showers, and not get caught with him. She came back after their showers and had a quicky before class started. Everyday was like any other day for Xi. He'd wake up with Angela, eat, go to class, eat dinner, and have sex with Angela at the end of the day, starting over where it had began.

Second semester of Xi's, Angela's and Odd jr's senior year had started and it was already mid February. Valentines day had passed, Xi and Angela spending much of the day together. On the fifteenth the day before his eighteenth birthday, Xi and Keiko his older sister went out because it was Keiko's last night in town for the time being. Keiko not wanting to miss his birthday took him out to eat. It was about nine thirty when they said their goodbyes and Xi left for the school, not taking her offer to drop him off.

Taking shortcuts through alleys he made his way to the school, stopping to rest three blocks away. Hearing a noise behind him, Xi turned around and looked for its source.

" Hello?" he asked, his heart rate rising. A man walked out from behind an alley that intersected the one Xi was in. The man looked at him insidiously with a rather frightening grin on his face. " Can I help you?" Xi asked watching the man carefully.

" Yes Xi you can," answered the man.

" How do you know my name?" Xi asked, his heart rate going up higher, his palms becoming sweaty.

" It's only been three years Xi. You don't recognize me?" The man asked. " Well this is a new body so I'll give you a hint." The man picked up a rock and began to scratch the wall with it. He started with a circle that he shaded in. Then drew two larger circles around it, adding a few other scratches outside of the circles. Stepping out of the way Xi saw the eye of xana drawn on the wall.

" No," Xi said looking at xana, who was smiling the same way he did three years ago when he had tried to kill all of his friends and family.

" Oh yes. I'm back. Now I'm going to kill you," xana said. Xi ran into the side alley to escape, but xana ran into the alley and threw the rock, hitting Xi's left calf. Xi fell to the ground and took a few seconds to recover. He limped a few feet before xana grabbed the back of his shirt and flung him into several trash cans.

Xana picked him up by his collar and flung him into the wall of the building next to him, knocking the wind out of Xi. Now trying to crawl xana placed his foot and his back and pushed him against the ground.

Xana rolled Xi over with his foot and stomped on his stomach, making Xi cough and rolled over to his side. Kicking him in the back several times, xana began to beat Xi with much more aggression. Rolling Xi onto his back again, xana began to punch his face. Xi swung back and had his hand caught, making xana hit him harder. He kicked Xi in the ribs four times, Xi feeling a rib snap out of place. Dragging Xi to the wall xana lay him against it.

Xi had a broken rib after several minutes of being beaten. His face's skin was broken in several places, blood beginning to slowly flow down his face. Blood from his lips and nose was dripping off his chin, and bruises were beginning to form all over his body.

Pulling a gun from his waist, xana held it to Xi's chin and asked, " Head or the chest?"

" You're dead," Xi managed to say, " We shut you down, and destroyed the lab."

" About that. When you kill someone, make sure they're dead before you bury them. Now head or chest," he asked again, wanting Xi to decide how he should die. To answer his question Xi spat blood into his face, xana hitting Xi in the head with the butt of the gun.

" I'll do the chest so you can still have an open coffin funeral. Last words?"

" Fuck you," Xi answered unenthusiastically closing his eyes. Xana smiled, and pulled the trigger.


	2. The last thing I need right now

Angela was in Xi's room, waiting for him to get back from dinner with his sister. She had waited for an hour before locking his door and leaving him a note saying happy birthday. The next morning she woke up alone for the first time in a while and took a shower and got dressed. Leaving for the cafeteria she went to Xi's room and knocked, no answer. Trying to open the door she found out it was still locked from last night. Thinking he was already down stairs she continued to the café.

When she arrived she only found Odd jr and Carla at the table. Sitting down she asked, " Have you guys seen Xi?" They both shook their heads, about to ask her the same question. She sighed and sat down waiting for the bell to ring. She went all the way through to lunch without even seeing any sign of Xi, which was making her worry.

During sixth hour study hall an office messenger came in and the teacher gave the note to Angela which said she need to report to the office. A few minutes later she was walking through the hall and turned a corner, seeing Xi's little brother outside of the office door.

Sitting next to him she asked, " Have you seen your brother?" she asked, hoping he'd know.

" I was going to ask you the same thing, why are you here?" he asked seeing her pass in her hand.

" I'll find out." A moment later a police officer walked out of the office and looked at them.

" Come in, we need to talk to both of you?" They shrugged and walked into the office and sat on the chairs, waiting for the police officer to begin. " Do you know someone named Xi Stern?" The officer asked.

" He's my brother," Justin answered.

" My boyfriend," Angela answered.

" Alright, do you have any idea why he was found dead last night?" the officer asked.

" He's dead?" Justin asked. The officer nodded. " How?" Angela couldn't speak.

" It looks like he was murdered. His body was found in an alley three blocks away. He was beaten badly, then shot in the chest execution style."

Angela lost her voice fully. Her heart rate began to beat almost to quick for the rest of her body to keep up. " Are you alright miss?" the officer asked as Angela became pale with shock.

" Who did it?" Justin asked speaking for both himself and Angela.

" We have no leads or witnesses. Did he have any enemies or was involved in anything he shouldn't have been?"

" No, he spends most of his time with me. Xi was out yesterday to have dinner with his sister," Angela said, finding her voice. " Where was he found?"

" An alley three blocks away. It's a shortcut between Ann lane, and sleepy street. Miss are you okay, because you don't look okay?" the officer asked concerned.

" I just need some air," she answered. The officer nodded and let the two go. Halfway down the hall Angela couldn't breathe, then fainted.

---

When she awoke she was in her room alone. Looking out the window she saw that it was dark already. Trying to remember why she was here, she remembered Xi and began to cry holding he pillow tight. Carla walked in a second later.

" Your awake. Are you okay what happened. We found you in the hall passed out."

" Xi's dead," Angela mumbled through her pillow, Carla unable to hear her.

" What?" she asked, trying to figure out what Angela was saying.

" He's dead," she mumbled again. " Xi's dead!" she said moving her face away from her pillow. Carla didn't say anything immediately. She grabbed Angela and held her close., letting her cry into her shoulder.

" How?" she asked, trying to comfort her.

" Murdered in an alley," she said, letting her tears soak Carla's shirt. Odd jr knocked on the door and a second later he had found out as well. Xi was dead, and none of them knew why.

---

The next morning Angela was playing with her food and not eating it. " You should eat Angela," Odd jr advised having no problem eating his.

" I'm not hungry. You want it," she offered. Odd jr slid her tray over and ate her breakfast for her. During seventh hour Aelita stopped Angela before she left. She'd usually talk with her mother for a few minutes before leaving, and her mother noticed she was trying to avoid her.

" Angela you need to talk to someone," Aelita said, walking over to her daughter.

" I'm fine mom," she lied trying to end the conversation.

" Angela please. You haven't been crying like this since your father died and was resurrected three years ago. You got passed that because you let someone talk to you."

" Mom. Xi talked to me. He's dead now, so no one can help me."

" I'm your mother. Talk to me that's why I'm here Angela." Angela talked to her mother for an hour before leaving. It was last hour so she didn't have to worry about being late for class. She hugged her mother goodbye and they left the room walking in different directions.

The next morning Angela woke up, still expecting to feel Xi next to her. When she stood up, her stomach growled. Last night she had eaten more at dinner to make up for not eating breakfast, and now she more hungry than usual in the morning. During breakfast to Odd jr's disliking, she ate some of his breakfast.

" You couldn't eat yesterday," Odd jr said, watching his food being eaten by someone other than himself.

" I don't understand it either, I'm just so hungry," Angela said taking a sip of her milk.

" Could be grief. People do weird things to forget about grief. Like eat for instance," Carla said watching as well.

" I'm not eating to forget. I'm just really hungry. You gonna eat that?" She asked pointing at Carla's toast. Carla placed it on her plate, a moment later Angela spreading jam onto it.

Angela's condition was becoming stranger every hour that day. She'd feel hot, hungry, and have to go to the bathroom every half hour. When she got to her room at the end of the day she went to sleep early, falling asleep almost as soon as she shut her eyes. When she woke up she was hungry again.

Three days passed and her symptoms hadn't changed. Noticing what her symptoms might lead to she took something out of her drawer she hid, just in case she ever had to use it. Hoping she wouldn't have to.

Angela stood over a sink in the girls bathroom waiting for the item in her hand to finish. When it did she dropped in the sink and put her back to the wall and slid down. Carla walked in a minute later and saw Angela with a shocked appearance on her face.

" What's wrong?" Carla asked kneeling next to her.

" My parents are going to kill me," she said starting to cry.

" What's wrong?" she asked again.

" Look in the sink," she said putting her head down. Carla walked over to the sink and looked into it. Next to the drain was pregnancy test that was flashing the word 'positive'. Her heart began to race when she saw that word.

" Your pregnant?" she asked her, turning around holding the test. Angela gave a nod, keeping her head down. " That explains a lot," she said, referring to her recent symptoms. " Didn't you use a condom?"

" Condoms have failing rates Carla. Was I the only one who payed attention in sex ed."

" When are you going to tell them?" she asked, kneeling next to her again.

" I don't know okay. Just please be quiet about it."

" Of coarse."

---

Three days past without a word of it to her mother or father. Aelita noticed she was hiding something, but didn't push it knowing if she wanted to tell her she would. Finally finding the courage to tell one of them, she approached her mother.

The final bell rang and the classroom was empty in seconds. Angela was still in her seat with her head down, her palms holding her head up.

" Angela do you need to talk to me?" Aelita asked, being a mother.

" I do, but promise you won't freak out or tell dad," she begged.

" Depends on how bad it is. One through ten, ten being the worse." Angela held up both hands with all her fingers extended. " Ten huh. I'll have to tell your father, but I won't freak out."

" Mom," she groaned, " Just don't tell dad please. I want to tell him, but I need to see how you react and times it by ten to see how he'll react."

" Alright sweety. What ever it is we still love you."

" I just found out that I'm pregnant." The room fell silent as Aelita tried to figure out what to say. " Told you it was bad."

" Oh geez Angela," Aelita said, falling into her chair. " Is Xi the father?" Angela nodded and Aelita shook her head and said, " I knew it was a mistake letting you live here instead of at home. I know the hour drive here and back sucks but... but... god dammit Angela!"

" Your freaking out mom," Angela said, because Aelita's reaction was louder than usual.

" I'm sorry. I just found out my sixteen year old is pregnant."

" I'm almost seventeen mom," Angela said, hating the fact people always treated her younger than she wanted to be.

" Your pregnant before you graduate so it doesn't matter how old you are!" she shouted without realizing the volume of her voice, " How far along are you?" she asked trying to calm down

" I don't know, I was hoping you could take me to the hospital to check." Aelita looked at her daughter who looked as scared as she did.

Aelita pulled the keys out of her purse and said, " Come on, let's go."

---

The hospital was a ten minute drive but Aelita still had questions.

" When was your first time?" Aelita asked Angela who was sitting next to her in the passenger seat.

" Beginning of junior year," Angela answered uncomfortably.

" How many times have you had sex?"

"More times than you and dad did during your marriage," she said, " I feel uncomfortable talking about this with you."

" Well if you think your old enough to have sex, I'm going to talk about it around you because you should be able to take it. Do you climax regularly?"

" Mom! Please not now okay," she said leaning against the window with a few tears running down her checks. They had stopped at a red light and Aelita reached over, wiping the tears away and moving her hair so she could see her face. " Don't make this harder."

" I'm not trying to honey, but I'm upset. I thought I had a perfect little angle. How many times have you done it?" she asked again, hoping for a better answer.

" Two hundred and five times." she answered seriously.

" Two hundred!" Aelita shouted.

" And five. I keep count," she said looking at her mothers face. " Green light." Aelita looked at the light and began to drive.

Aelita was reading a magazine in the waiting room, just waiting. Angela had left ten minutes ago and could come out any second. As Aelita flipped a page Angela walked out with her hands in her pockets.

" Two months," Angela said, answering the question her mother was about to ask. They were on the way back, the car ride quiet for most of the time.

Aelita looked at her and asked, " Did you use a condom every time?"

" Yes mom. We're stupid enough to have sex, just not stupid enough to have stupid sex."

" Any sex is stupid for someone your age. I just don't know where I went wrong raising you."

" You didn't mess up mom. I did. I'm the screw up okay. Don't blame yourself for my mistakes," she said, at the moment enjoying putting herself down.

" Your not a screw up. You just screwed up, we all do."

" I'm just more screwed than everyone else." Aelita shook her head.

" Look we should start figuring out what your going to do. You can get an abortion, or have it. It's your baby it's your choice."

" I've already decided I'm having it. With Xi gone it'll be the only reminder of him."

" Think about long term. Can you manage a kid alone? I'll help anyway I can but I can't play mom for you."

" I'm not asking you to. I'll have it after I finish school so I'll graduate and find a job."

" Angela it isn't that simple. I know you wish it was but it's much more complicated. You get a job, then you get a baby sitter. You'll need money for a home, food, clothes, toys, it's much more expensive than it seems. Even if your financially secure the mental factor is just as hard. The baby cries all night, you lose sleep..."

" I get it mom. You make it out like I planned this. Having a kid has never even crossed my mind yet," Angela said annoyed, " Mom for the first time in my life, I'm actually scared."

" I know honey, we all are."

" Good thing Xi's dead, cause dad would kill him," Angela said thinking of her fathers reaction.

" He wouldn't touch him. Jeremie may yell on a occasion, but that's all he would do."

" That's the reason you divorced him, and dad hated Xi," Angela said, noticing that when ever Xi looked her father in the eye, it was more of a glare at the other end.

" Your dad hates anyone who dates his daughter. He respects him though, Xi did help bring us back, and that's something I'll always be thankful for. Now I'll give you a week to tell him, if you don't I will."

" Mom," Angela protested.

" It's not a negotiation Angela. One week or I tell him."

---

Four days passed and Angela still hadn't told her father she was pregnant. The only ones who knew were her mother and Carla. She had three days left to tell her father or her mother would so she had to build up her courage.

On the sixth day of that week, Xi's funeral was held near his home three hours away. Angela wore her only black dress and was excused from school for obvious reasons. Xi's mother and father were there, as well as Justin and Keiko. Aelita and Odd were there with Charlie, as well as Jeremie, Emilie and Kat. Sissi and Odd jr arrived as well, as well as a few people from the school.

After the funeral Ulrich, Yumi, Justin, Angela, the Odd's, Jeremie, Aelita, Sissi, Emilie and the younger kids were at the Sterns residence. Ulrich was trying to comfort Yumi from the moment she had heard the news, but she still wasn't better. Justin had cried some but he was always good at getting over things. Though Xi's family members and closest friends were the only ones to cry, his death had made an emotional dent in almost everyone he knew. The group were all in the living room, the women sitting and the men standing to make room for the women to sit.

Angela was in Xi's room, sitting on his bed crying, wanting to be away from people. Keiko was passing the hall and heard her. Slowly creaking the door open she saw Angela in an emotional heap. Her eyeliner was leaking down her face, and her face was pale. Between her sobs was a loud wheeze like she was trying to breathe. Keiko stepped into the room and sat next to her. Knowing who it was Angela grabbed onto her quickly, deciding she didn't want to be alone. Keiko rubbed he back, trying to comfort her.

" Just let it all out sweety, we all miss him," Keiko said softly.

" I'll get over it," Angela said between breaths, " But I'll never get over him not knowing."

" Knowing what?" Keiko asked her, letting her go to look at her face.

Angela took a breath and answered, " He'll never know that I'm pregnant with his child." Keiko stood up and stepped back, hitting Xi's dresser.

" Your pregnant!" She asked shocked. Angela nodded and looked away, expecting this reaction. " How far are you?"

" Two months. I found out about a week ago."

" Do your parents know?" she asked kneeling next to her.

" Only my mom. I'm telling my dad today. I told you just to see your reaction to see how my dad would react. This is going to be bad."

" You being pregnant isn't bad," she said, then noticing what she was saying really was bad, changed her mind after looking at Angela's, ' yeah right,' expression.

" Maybe a little bad because of your age, but at least you have something still attached to Xi. Was this an accident?"

" I'm sixteen, why the hell would I want this!" Angela shouted at her.

" I'm sorry. Are you going to have it." Angela nodded. " Then you should tell my parents as well. It is their grandchild." Angela nodded again and stood up.

" Here we go." She walked down stairs and saw her father sitting on the couch next to Emilie. " Um dad, can I talk to you?" she asked. Aelita looked up and took a breath, knowing Jeremie would be yelling soon.

" Of coarse, what is it?" he asked looking up at his daughter.

" Can I talk to you alone?" Jeremie got off the couch and looked over to Aelita to see if she knew anything. Aelita just made a ' just go' gesture at her ex-husband as he and Angela went into the kitchen. Angela was running her confession through her mind thinking of the best way to say it. There is no good way for a sixteen year old girl to tell her father she's pregnant.

" What is this about?" Jeremie asked, knowing it was bad if she wanted to talk alone.

" Dad you remember when you said you'd love me no matter what happened, and forgive me?" she asked, then waited.

" Angela the last time you asked me that, you sold my laptop for concert tickets. How bad is it, one through ten, ten being to worse?" he asked like Aelita did, having planned ways to talk to kids during early parentage. Angela held up all fingers and Jeremie's heart began to race. Jeremie swallowed hard and asked, " What is it then."

" Well me and Xi were pretty far in our relationship before he died, things were getting... um..."

" Sexual," he said, offering her the correct word, though he hated the fact his daughter was saying it. Angela nodded. She began another stuttery speech and Jeremie interrupted again.

" Skip the story and tell me the ending. What is the problem? What is so hard to say to me?"

A tear hit the ground as Angela lowered her head and mumbled, " I'm pregnant."

" What?" Jeremie asked, " Little louder I didn't hear you."

" I'm pregnant," she said clearly and loud enough for Jeremie to understand. Jeremie let out a breath and fell into a chair at the table. Jeremie controlled his anger and didn't yell, though he looked like he was going to explode any second. " I'm sorry."

" Wonderful," he answered not looking at her. " Great my sixteen year old is pregnant. Xi's lucky, if he was alive, I'd hospitalize him. Not kill him, he needs to provide. How far along?"

" Two months."

" Are you having it?" he asked though he didn't want to talk anymore. Angela answered with a nod. " When it's born I'm cutting you off completely." Angela nodded, she knew she deserved that. " Your not going to complain about that?" Jeremie asked, expecting a fight.

" Could I win?" she asked even though she knew the answer. " Look dad I'll manage. Thanks for not yelling."

" Your sad enough as it is, last thing you need is you thinking I hate you. I never have. Some things I didn't agree on, but I could never hate you. Good luck." Jeremie left the room and Aelita let out a breath when she saw him angry, but didn't hear yelling.


	3. Under the cement

A week later Odd jr and Angela were in the cafeteria, Angela still out eating Odd jr. She hadn't told him because it'd be around the entire school in minutes if she did. Angela knew they'd find out when her stomach began to grow shortly, but she preferred not tell. Odd had something on his mind, because he was playing with his dinner instead of eating it.

" What are you thinking about?" Angela asked.

" I don't think Xi was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he began, catching her attention immediately, " He wasn't mugged like the police report said, nothing was stolen from his body. That was an executed."

" What are you saying?"

" I'm saying we need to check the alley he was killed in, look for clues of anything that could lead us to the killer." Angela nodded, she was going to ask him that, he beat her to the punch. " We'll check tonight, get ready at midnight."

---

They met in the park as planned, hopping the wall of the academy and leaving for where Xi was murdered. They moved slowly through the streets, watching for anyone following them or police. They found Ann lane and turned into the alley. Splitting up they searched the alley for an hour and didn't find anything.

" We should go Odd, nothing's here," Angela said, leaning against the wall. Odd jr took a step and kept looking, stepping on an empty beer bottle and sliding his hand across the wall to keep himself from falling. He looked at his hand that was dusty and scrapped then looked at the wall.

Something was under the dust. Odd jr took his sleeve and wiped it away. It was some kind of symbol scratched onto the wall. Odd picked up a rock from the ground and fixed it, dropping the rock when he finished.

" Um..Angela, I think I found his killer." Angela ran over to him and gasped. Scratched into the wall was the eye of xana. " It's recent, xana killed him."

" Odd that's ridiculous. Not only did we delete him, we destroyed the lab. He can't be back," she said, hoping he wasn't. Odd jr took out his cell phone and took a picture of the symbol and sent to his dad with a message saying, ' I found this where Xi was killed. We need to see if the lab somehow survived.'

Odd senior woke up with his phone vibrating on his night stand. Thinking it was the alarm clock, he hit snooze. After realizing it wasn't his alarm, he grabbed his phone. Moving Aelita's arm off his body, he let his feet hang down as he flipped his cell phone open.

Aelita woke up from him moving and asked, " What is it?" Odd opened the message and dropped the phone, the battery breaking off and sliding under his bed. " Who is it?" she asked again.

" It was Odd. He found a clue about who killed Xi."

" He did? What is it, who did it?" she asked, hoping they'd find him.

" That's what scares me, the killer should already be dead."

---

Odd jr and Angela were waiting outside of the office. Odd senior had called to get them out of school for a few days. They looked outside to see Odd pull into the school in his mustang. Stepping into the room Odd walked over to the secretary's desk and signed them out, and the three left.

Yesterday Odd jr had sent his dad the picture and Odd drove an hour out of his way to pick them up to investigate this further. Parking his car on Ann street they walked into the alley and they showed him the symbol on the wall.

" We need to get to the lab," Odd jr said, watching his father examine the symbol.

" Do you forget that there's an office building on it now," Odd said to his son.

" Dad, you own the building, evacuate it or something." Odd senior shook his head. Then he had an idea.

Odd was walking into the Sound Proof office building with his son and step daughter as everyone in the building stopped to say hi. Him being the president of the entire industry, they knew who's ass they had to kiss. Most of his employees respected him. He was fair, nice, and didn't think he was any better because he was the big shot. None the less the lined up to kiss his boot.

" Good morning Mr. Robbia." Odd would answer politely and address everyone by their name, which impressed Angela how many he knew.

They took the elevator up and into the higher floors were Odd did most of his work, which wasn't much. Mainly just paperwork and company finances. Odd's secretary turned around and said, " Your wife is on line one Mr. Robbia."

" Thanks." Odd took the phone and asked, " Yes dear?"

" Might I ask you why you took Angela and Odd out of school today. All students signed out of school need to be approved by the headmaster, which is me."

" I can't explain it here, come to the office after work and I'll explain things."

" Alright fine. This better have a good explanation or.."

" Or what, you'll cut off sex. Please you'll crack before I do." Aelita was about to say something back, but didn't have any defence. She would crack first. She had lost that method of getting her way early in their marriage. Which then made her realize that was probably why Angela was pregnant. They were both nymphos, like mother like daughter. The thought made her shutter.

" I'll cut off back massages after hard days at office meetings." She had him now.

" Whatever, that usually leads to sex and thus your weakness," Odd answered back smiling. He liked playing around with her. Aelita tried to think of something that didn't lead to sex that she could pin him with.

" Does everything about us revolve around sex?" she asked not thinking of anything to trap him with.

" Let's see, talking sex, cooking sex, sleeping sex, boredom sex, showering sex. Yeah it all revolves around that action."

" Is that good?" she asked hoping not to ruin another marriage.

" We use it as a tool of entertainment and bonding, not a distraction on other marital things so no, we're good. We'll talk later okay."

" Okay, love you."

" Love you to." They both hung up and Odd and the kids walked into his office. They had been in his office several times before but they still were in awe everything they stepped into it. Twenty feet long, ten feet high, two couches, a big screen tv, stereo system, and of course his computer and desk. Angela and Odd took the couches and Odd walked to his office and pressed and button on his phone and began to speak over the intercom.

" Attention all Sound Proof employees, this is Odd Della Robbia, the president of the company. We will be renovating the office starting tomorrow and the building will need to emptied. I have given you all a small vacation for the time being and you will still receive your usual pay without work. To add to it, you are all receiving the rest of the day off to see your families and friends. Thank you." The office building erupted in cheering as the employees flooded out of the building in less than twenty minutes.

" Your good dad," Odd jr complemented from his couch. His father just shrugged. Odd senior quickly pulled up the blue prints of the building and the blue prints of the old factory and placed them on top of each other. A minute later they were on the first floor, pushing cubicles out of the way and marking the floor with tape. They pulled up the tile and found solid cement. A few hours later Aelita had arrived and saw them around the marked floor.

" What's going on?" She asked looking at the floor. " What's with the tape?"

" Right there Aelita, is the elevator shaft to the lab," Odd answered. " We have reason to believe xana killed Xi." Aelita looked at them all, trying to find the joke. There was no joke.

She was having trouble believing that, Odd noticed so said, " Show her the picture." Odd jr took out his cell phone and showed Aelita the eye of xana scratched on the wall. She looked at the picture for a moment, trying to see what she was supposed to be seeing. She saw it.

An hour later Odd and Odd jr were taking turns with a sledge hammer, breaking through the cement. They were slowly chipping off the cement, noticing it was at least three feet thick. Whoever wasn't using the hammer was removing the debris away while the girls watched and waited. They offered to help but Odd insisted.

After three hours of hard labor Odd jr swung the sledge hammer and broke through. He hadn't expected it and almost lost balance. Odd took the hammer and began to break down the last layer, the larger rocks falling into the darkness.

Nailing down anchors the four climbed down the shaft and minutes later were hanging down across from the lab entrance. Aelita shined the flashlight in the room and looked at everything. Beams of the roof had fallen, wires hung down draping over the entire room. It was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Swinging over they all carefully examined the room. It was blown to hell. Nothing useful was left.

" Maybe the mark on the wall was coincidence," Odd jr said, not finding anything.

" Over there," Aelita said pointing, though no one could see her in the back of the room. " In the back." They all turned around to see nothing.

" Where, I don't see anything?" Angela asked, moving a few wires out of her face. " Wait I see it." At the back on the lab, was a light. It was a extremely faint green light, but in this darkness it might of well been a torch. The four slowly moved through the debris and cord confusion and all shined their lights on what they couldn't identify at first. Aelita walked around it once and saw what it was.

" It's the monitor." Shining the light around it she saw that the keyboard was nearby and neatly placed next to it. Some of the keys were missing but it was there. It was placed perfectly with the monitor.

" Someone's been here." Pressing a key the monitor lit up, giving the dark room light. " I can't believe it." Aelita pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number, but had no reception.

" I'll call the others, you look at what xana's been doing," Odd said. Aelita nodded and Odd climbed back up the shaft.

They set up lights in the room as Aelita scanned the system, looking for how xana survived. After two hours of scanning and searching and pulling up the computers recent history she found the answer. The others had been called as Aelita told everyone what she found out.

" Okay thirty years ago we deleted xana correct?" They all nodded. " Well not fully. It is fairly difficult to completely erase a file from any system. Xana had a plan. He set a failsafe on the server that if he was deleted, it would copy his data before removing it from the system. The failsafe also allowed him to create an internal jump."

" What does that mean?" Odd asked listening carefully.

" It means when we erased him, we gave him more power ironically."

" Then why didn't he use the failsafe and restart it sooner?"

" He did. The failsafe protects lyoko from shutting down. The overall computer shut down covered it. For thirty years he's been giving power to the system and eventually got control of the scanner."

" And got out. Son of a bitch," said Odd, kicking a piece of equipment across the lab. " Now what?"

" I say we reopen sector six, send someone to before we turned it off after erasing him. Tell them to shut off the failsafe and do it again."

" Mom if we do that, it is possible we could save Xi?" she asked hopefully. Aelita nodded. " Let's do it then I'll go."

" You can't go Angela. There is no telling how being scanned would affect your baby," Odd jr said.

" Who told you?" she asked. " Mom!"

" It wasn't me Angela."

" No one told me anything. I put the pieces together. You may only be my step sister, but we're close enough family for me to know when your not okay. I'll go." Angela looked at Odd then thought hard. He was right.

" Alright." Odd jr walked to the shaft and climbed down to the scanner room. Odd jr took his flashlight out and looked around the room. One of the scanners had fallen over, one was broken in half with the top half still attached but leaning off the lower part. The last one was still standing, the bright light shining still.

" The program is running get in." Odd stepped into the scanner that shut a second later.

" Now we pray," said Aelita falling into the chair.

" Pray all you want, it won't help," said a voice. Standing at the entrance of the shaft was a man holding a gun. Aelita, Angela, and Odd turned swiftly all shining the light at his face. The light flickered off his eyes and reflected the eye of xana back at them.

" Odd it's xana!" Odd stepped in front of her as Xana walked over slowly.

" That's a good lad, protect your woman," said xana walking closer. Soon he was only three feet away. Aelita and Odd took a step back, but too late as xana lunged at Odd and sent him into a wall. With a blow to Aelita's stomach she fell. Angela was in the corner, watching him come closer. Instead of approaching her he put the gun in his waist, sat on the chair and began to type something.

" Nice try boy, but not today, new coordinates and bye bye." He hit enter as he felt the gun from his waist being pulled out.

Odd was up and angry with the gun to xana's head. When he fired xana's head split as the bullet went through him, hitting the monitor. Grabbing the gun as well the two struggled to get control. Odd knowing he couldn't win hit the a switch and the ammo cartridge fell out to the ground. Xana threw him to the wall again and pointed the gun at his head.

" It's out," Odd said looking at the cartridge.

" One in the chamber smart ass," Xana shot back. He pulled the trigger and the bullet hit Odd in the head, spreading his blood against the wall. He tipped over as Aelita screamed in disbelief. Xana picked up the ammo and inserted it in the gun and cocked it. He aimed it at Aelita who was crying for her husband.

" Are you going to beg?" he asked, enjoying this.

" Please, I have children who need me."

" Your actually begging. Fine but I'll just substitute you." He shot Angela in the chest, making her fall back. He shot her in head then walked to the shaft, leaving Aelita in a ocean of tears.

" Cry me a river woman, boo hoo." he said, jumping in the shaft and climbing up. Aelita looked at Odd and didn't even begin to think he was alive. Kneeling next to Angela she looked at her daughter. A small thin line of blood was flowing down Angela's head. Aelita put her hand on her face.

" I was hoping this would never happen to you again." She ran her finger down her face and stopped at her neck. Her heart leaped when she felt something she thought she wouldn't, a pulse. Feeling closer she discovered it was true.

" Your alive."

" Aelita?" said a familiar voice behind her.

" Jeremie. Get over here. We need to get her help now!" Jeremie ran over and saw Odd then Angela. " Odd's dead, we need to help the living." Jeremie helped Aelita carry her out of the lab and to the shaft, a second later Emilie swung down.

" Oh my god," Emilie said when she saw Odd and Angela.

" Shut up and help!" Aelita shouted placing Angela on the ground. " Jeremie give me your shirt I need to stop the bleeding." Without being told again Jeremie took off his shirt and handed to Aelita who ripped it down the center.

" Emilie do you have scissors?" Emilie opened her purse and shuffled around. " Hurry!" A second later Emilie handed her a pair of hair cutting scissors and Aelita cut Angela's shirt down the center, then ripped it off her. She placed the shirt over the gun shot and pressed it into the wound, the shirt quickly getting soaked.

" Keep pressure on it." she said to Emilie.

" I can't.."

" My daughter is dying! Keep pressure dammit!" Emilie shook off her mental dislike to blood and kept pressure. Aelita cut a longer piece of cloth and placed it over the bandage and quickly and tightly tied it around her body.

It took nearly ten minutes to get Angela back to the surface without causing more injury. When they got to the surface, they carried Angela to Jeremie's car and drove to the hospital because they didn't have time to wait for an ambulance. While driving they called the hospital and told them to get ready to receive Angela.

---

Aelita ran with the stretcher until it went through into the surgery room and she was stopped by a doctor. " Let me go!"

" You can't go in there, you need to wait here. I know it's hard, but we'll do everything we can."

" Be careful she's pregnant."

" We know. We'll do all we can to save both. For now I need you to calm down." Aelita let her breathing get back to normal and nodded to the doctor.

" How long?"

" We don't know."


	4. The sleeping mother

Two hours passed slowly for Aelita who was pacing in the waiting room. Keiko and Carla ran into the room and Aelita looked back at them.

" Anything yet?" Carla asked. Aelita just shook her head and turned away. Another four hours passed with no information. Emilie had left to pick up Kat from the babysitter, and Sissi had arrived with Charlie who she was baby sitting for Aelita and Odd. Yumi and Ulrich had arrived as well, Keiko had told them about the baby. Aelita kept pacing not looking at anyone.

After six long ours of surgery a doctor walked out into the room and everyone got ready to hear the news. " Can I speak to the parents of Angela please." Jeremie and Aelita stood up and left the room with the doctor. Aelita held Jeremie's hand as the doctor was about to tell, because is she wasn't okay, she knew she wouldn't stay conscious. Aelita was squeezing his hand hard, waiting for the doctor to start.

The doctor smiled and Aelita calmed down, " She'll live," he said simply.

" What about the baby?" Jeremie asked before Aelita could.

" That's why I need to talk to you. Angela is going to be fine but she's in a coma. The fetus can't grow in a coma patient so we have two options for you. You can have the pregnancy terminated or we could perform a c-section and place the fetus in a incubator."

" What is the chance of the baby living?" Aelita asked, making sure the incubator option wasn't a death sentence.

" At the stage of its development, fairly good. The vital organs are already developed so all it needs really is nutrients for the rest of its development. It's your choice." Aelita looked at Jeremie who looked at her. With Angela's age they knew it was best to terminate the pregnancy. Jeremie was about to say terminate before Aelita broke in.

" Do a c-section," Aelita said.

" Aelita. She can't manage a kid alone. And now she's in a coma for god knows how long, when the fetus becomes a baby are you going to take care of it for her?" Jeremie asked.

" She wanted to have it Jeremie. It was her choice not ours. She may be asleep but the decision is still her's. Not mine, not yours, hers. If she is still in the coma when that time comes, yes I will take care of it for her." Aelita answered angry, letting his hand go. " It is my grandchild after all. Don't forget it's yours as well."

Jeremie was going to say something back but he couldn't find the rights words. He didn't want Angela to be a mother so soon, but then again it really was her choice not his.

" Do a c-section," Jeremie said to the doctor who nodded and walked away. The two walked back into the waiting room as everyone stood ready again. Aelita told them the news and sat down again. An hour later the same doctor came back and only Aelita followed him to see Angela.

Angela was laying on a bed with a bandage over her head chest and lower stomach. She was hooked up to several machines and on different medications that controlled almost all body functions. Aelita sat down and held her daughters hand, brushing her hair out of her face.

Placing her head on her bed Aelita began to cry, it was a mixture of relief and sadness. She was crying because Angela was alive, and crying because she was in a coma, and crying because her husband was dead.

" Angela, remember when I said I wouldn't play mother for you?" she asked not expecting an answer. " Looks like I will be after all."

---

Almost seven months later Aelita entered the room Angela was staying in. Seven months and still in a coma. Aelita sat down next to her with a smile. She was used to these kinds of visits by now.

" Guess what. In a few days they'll be taking him out of the incubator. You're officially a mother, congratulations." Aelita said to Angela as if she was listening. " I hope you don't mind that I named him for you. His name is Travis. Travis Stern, I thought you'd prefer Xi's last name over yours."

" Talking to her again?" asked someone at the door. Aelita turned around and saw Carla standing at the door. " I do it to. I think she's listening deep down." Aelita nodded. Carla sat in the chair next to Aelita's and said, " I still can't believe he's gone."

" I know. We all lost the one we loved from the same bastard."

" Thanks for telling me about it," Carla said, now knowing about xana and what really happened.

" You deserved to know. Well I need to go."

" You haven't been here very long."

" I was only saying hi today, I need to finish setting up the baby's room."

" Oh can I help?"

" Alright, I think she'd like that. Goodbye Angela."

---

Two days later Travis Stern was taken out of the incubator and placed in a clean room while he built his immune system. After a little bit of time in that they handed the baby to Aelita who carried him to Angela's room.

" Angela, guess who. It's him. I'm talking him home today, but don't worry dear I'll bring him to visit every week." The door opened and Carla ran into the room.

" He's soooo cute. Can I hold him?" Aelita handed Travis to Carla who cradled him perfectly. Travis was still very curious about his surroundings and just kept staring at Carla. He had an adorable clueless look that made her giggle.

" He has no idea where he is or who I am. I'm your mommy's best friend. Can you say mommy?"

" He's not even a week old. I doubt he can," Aelita answered.

" I know I'm just playing," she answered rubbing her nose against his. A moment later he sneezed on her face and Carla handed him back to Aelita. " Cute," she said while wiping her face off.

" Your lucky. If you weren't he'd puke on you."

" Gross."

" Just what babies do. They crap, they puke, they sneeze, they cry, and cry, and cry, and in the end they're just so damn cute you can't get mad at them." Aelita stood up and asked, " Did you bring it for me?"

" Oh yeah, I left it outside the door." Carla opened the door and leaned outside and pulled in a baby carrier for Aelita. " Here. There's a blanket in there as well." Aelita placed Travis in the carrier and rocked him back and forth. She wanted him to sleep but he just kept looking at everything in the room. Mainly on Angela. It's strange how children know who their mother is. Aelita looked down at Travis who looked up at her. His hair was starting to grow curly and dark brown, his eyes were dark brown. Just like Xi.

" I need to get going I only have the babysitter for another hour," Aelita said, thinking about Charlie.

" Alright, I need to get going to. I have a test tomorrow. Bye Angela."

Aelita opened the door to the house as Charlie ran past her and went straight for the couch. " One hour of tv then straight to homework," Aelita said as she heard the television turn on.

" Two hours," Charlie negotiated.

" Hour and a half, final offer."

" Deal." Aelita smiled and continued up the stairs with Travis. Turning into the room across from hers she opened into a room with a crib in the corner. The room had enough toys to last and had age appropriate posters on the wall. It was painted the traditional blue for a boy. On the door knob was a baby alert two way radio, though if he was crying Aelita would probably hear him.

Aelita placed the carrier on the table in the room and put Travis in pajamas that she bought for him the other day. Placing him in the crib she placed a blanket over him and looked down at him.

" He's so small," Charlie said from behind her.

" So were you."

" Yeah right."

" You were just as small if not smaller. Wanna see some pictures?" Charlie just shrugged and they left the room, shutting off the lights letting Travis sleep. Aelita and Charlie sat on the couch with a photo album labeled ' Charlie.' They opened it up and Charlie couldn't believe some of the pictures where him.

Aelita and him laughed at some of the pictures and then she turned the page. It was a picture they took last year. Aelita, Odd and Charlie were on vacation in the mountains. They were wearing coats and had some type of skiing or snow boarding gear. Odd had his arm wrapped around Aelita's waist holding her close. His other arm was on Charlie's shoulder. They seemed so happy.

Charlie looked at his mother who looked on the verge of tears. " I miss him too."

" We all do." He hugged her and she hugged him. " Homework, times up." He didn't complain he just placed his back pack on the table and started doing math.

---

The next morning Aelita woke up from Travis crying. She was actually smiling when she pushed the covers off her at six in the morning on a weekend. Opening her door she stepped across the hall and into the baby's room. She picked up Travis and rocked him as he cried.

" Yeah, Yeah loud mouth. I hear you." she said taking him downstairs. Aelita woke up the same way at the same time for week. Charlie was starting to get up then, unable to sleep and was getting used to it.

" Six in the morning again. Does he have an off switch?" he asked.

" No he doesn't. At least he's consistent." At about twelve the door bell rang and Aelita but him in the play pin and answered the door, to see Yumi and Ulrich.

Yumi walked in and went straight to business, " Where is he?" she asked. Aelita led them into the living room were Travis was sitting down trying to eat his teddy bear. Yumi crouched down next to the pin and look at Travis closely.

" Deja vu huh Ulrich," she said, Travis reminding her that much of Xi. Reaching in and picking him up Yumi held him and looked closer at his face. " Oh, my, god," she said with a giggle, " just look at him. I don't even see any of Angela's traits. He's pretty much solid Xi."

" No look at the ears and nose, that's from my side of the family."

" Yeah your right. Xi's nose wasn't so pointy, and his ears were bigger. But the hair and eyes are perfect matches. Oh man, his eyes aren't slanted, how are people supposed to know he's a quarter Japanese."

" I think he'll have her personality though."

" We'll see now won't we," Yumi said with a smile.

They let Travis play while the three sat in the kitchen and began to talk about Angela. " Is there any sign of her getting out of the coma anytime soon?" Yumi asked, taking a sip of coffee they had just made. Aelita shook her head. " Do you think he'll attack again?"

" No, if he wanted to, he would have already. I think he just didn't want us to take his life away from him, and he used Odd and Angela as his messengers. Not to mention Odd jr, where ever the hell the bastard sent him."

" He'll turn up. Jeremie has it monitored if he comes back through, we'll get him back," Ulrich said.

" I know, but Carla is pretty depressed. I don't believe in teens being in love, but those two were the closest thing to it."

" Aelita, me and Ulrich were dating in highschool, so your theory is flawed," Yumi said, looking up at Ulrich. " Did you hear the news about Keiko?"

" No what?" Aelita asked, honestly not having a clue.

" She got engaged. Age twenty nine. Did better than me, I was engaged at nineteen to an eighteen year old I had to wait for. It was worth the wait of course," she said kissing Ulrich.

" What's the guy like?" Aelita asked interested.

" Haven't met him yet. His name is Toby, he's American."

" Should be interesting. A German Japanese woman wed to an American man."

" Said she fell head over heels. We're meeting him next week, right Ulrich."

" Yeah can't wait, " he answered with no enthusiasm.

" Bet he can't either," Aelita said back. Yumi gave Travis a few hugs and kisses and her and Ulrich left. Aelita sat on the couch and watched Travis for entertainment. Kids are so innocent.

" So Travis do you hope mommy will wake up soon." He wasn't listening of course, just trying to eat the bear again. " Me to."


	5. A bad question to ask

**Ten years after chapter three**

Aelita opened the bed room door and said, " Wake up Travis, time for school." Travis opened his eyes and looked back at the door.

" Alright grandma," he said lazily. Travis yawned and stood up. Walking to out of his room he went into the shower and shut the door. Looking at himself in the mirror for a second he opened the shower curtain.

Yumi was right, Travis did look a lot like Xi. Aelita was right as well, Travis acted more like Angela. By age ten, Xi was pretty mature and responsible, Travis however wasn't. He preferred fun over work, and always had to be reminded to do his homework.

" Keep it under twenty minutes today, nothing on your body takes that long to clean," Aelita nagged when she heard the water start.

Within the next half hour Travis was in the kitchen with his grandmother, eating a bowl of cereal. Aelita drank her coffee while going over her lesson plan for today's classes at Kadic junior high through high school academy. Aelita still believed the school should have remained a jr high only, but what can you do.

Travis placed his bowl in the sink and Aelita didn't even look at him and said, " Rinse your bowl." Travis let out a silent complaint and rinsed the bowl. " Good, get ready, we have an hour drive."

" Why can't I live at the academy with Charlie?" Travis asked, his mothers half brother a senior and border.

" You're too young. Maybe when you turn freshmen, but not in fifth grade," Aelita answered. She felt he was too irresponsible to live away from home.

" You suck you know that?" he asked playfully.

" I'm quite aware. Ready." Travis nodded and they locked the house and climbed into the car.

---

During the ride over Aelita stopped at a red light and said, " Remember, straight to the parking lot after school. You're seeing your mother today."

" Grandma about that. You wouldn't terribly mind if I don't go today?" He asked crossing his fingers.

" Yes I terribly mind. What is more important than seeing you bed ridden mother?" Aelita asked, her voice gaining authority.

" I wanted to hang out with Xavier today," he answered, his best friend getting a new game over the last weekend.

" No. Your seeing your mother. You knew about this visit all week."

" Oh come on grandma. I've never missed one visit. They're boring. All she does is sleep."

" She is in a coma and you know that."

" I think she's faking it because she doesn't like me," Travis said, looking away and lowering his head.

" Why would you even think that?" she asked sounding offended.

" I've never talked to her. I love her and all but I'm tired of the visits."

" Alright fine. You can miss it," she shot back angry. The light turned green.

" Are you mad?" he asked noticing the tone of her voice.

" Yes I am. But you go have fun with your friends."

They pulled into the school and Travis made for his locker. He said hello to his uncle before passing him and kept moving. Charlie hugged his mother and kissed her on the cheek, not caring if anyone was watching. A few fifth graders gagged and said, " Gross, you kissed a teacher!"

" She's my mother, run along you little demons." The grade school kids ran away laughing.

" You sure have a way with them this year," Aelita said walking to her office with Charlie.

" I do every year. I need you to sign this." Charlie handed her a sheet of paper that was his calculus test.

" You failed a test in math! You've never gotten anything lower than a B. What he hell happened?"she asked showing him it, though not like he hadn't seen it.

" I didn't show any work," Charlie said, because that was truly the reason.

" Why not?" Aelita asked, because showing work in math was more than necessary.

" I do it all my head."

" Why didn't you tell him?" she asked.

" I did. He said I was full of shit.."

" Language," she said to him, almost in the tone of a threat.

" Sorry. Said I was full of it. He said if he can't do it in his head, then I can't."

" What? He can't fail you because your smarter than him."

" That's what I said. It really pissed him off."

" Language. Give me a pen, we'll talk about this later." She signed the sheet and Charlie left her sight.

The day passed as normal as it could. At the end of the day Aelita was walking to her car and looked around for Travis to see if he had changed his mind. After a minute she realized he hadn't so left without him.

Aelita sat in the chair next to Angela who had been in the coma for over ten years now. She was a few inches taller, now reaching five eight. Her hair was longer, but had been recently cut. She looked her age, which was now twenty seven.

" Hey Angela. He's not here today just so you know. Wanted to 'hang' with his friends instead of you." Aelita said holding Angela's hand. " I see Carla got you your flowers for the week. What did you Keiko and her little monster do when they visited?" she asked, referring to Keiko's nine year old girl.

Aelita left her daughter and was about to start the car before her cell phone rang. " Yeah Charlie?" she asked, her phone saying Charlie called.

" It's Travis. Grandma Xavier wants to know if I can stay here for tonight. All I need is your approval."

" I really shouldn't let you," She answered, because of his mother.

" I'm sorry about that, but please," he begged.

" This weekend you have to cut the grass."

" What! It's Charlie's turn this week," Travis complained. Every other week Charlie or Travis mowed the lawn, and Travis did it last.

" If you want to sleep over there, it's your turn this week. Oh and you have to clean the living room. Dust and vacuum." Travis was thinking if it was really worth extra chores.

" Alright, I'll do the chores."

" I'll call the head master for you."

" Thanks grandma bye." Travis hung up the phone and handed back to his uncle.

---

Aelita pulled into the parking lot the next morning and instead of going to the science department, she went to the main office. When she stepped into the office she looked at the chairs and saw Travis waiting for her.

Handing him a clean outfit she asked, " Did you have fun?"

" Yeah," he answered taking the clothes.

" Get dressed, school starts in twenty minutes." Travis ran out of the office and turned at the hall.

During his first hour class Travis wasn't paying attention, and was sent to the front by the new teacher who had just started. The old teacher left for the remainder of the semester because of medical reasons. His friend Xavier was talking to him and he got punished, typical.

The teacher was young, straight out of college. She began with the whole, " I think I'm a nice teacher," speech, but proved her words wrong by moving Travis a second later.

" You," she said looking in his direction. Travis looked at her as if saying ' Me?' " Yes you, to the front. No talking while I'm talking it's disrespectful."

" I was talking before you were, you interrupted me," Travis shot back honestly, but with a smart ass tone. A few kids snickered.

" Oh. I've met the class clown already. What's your name young man?"

" Travis, what's yours?"

" I'm Ms. Santucci. Now Travis please take a seat in the front, clowns need to be seen by all. Don't be shy come on. This seat right next to my desk." Travis shook his head, grabbed his backpack, and walked to the front of the room. Letting his bag drop to the floor and sat at the desk.

" Good. Now as I said, my name is Ms. Santucci. This is my first year of teaching and I'm a little nervous, but I think I managed my first clown well." Travis rolled his eyes. " You may know each other, but I don't know you, so we'll start by asking a few questions. We'll start with Travis. Stand up please." Travis stood up ready. " What is your favorite hobby?"

" I don't know, I read, watch tv."

" Alright, do you have any siblings?" Travis shook his head, " No siblings. I have five older brothers, you got lucky. Favorite food?"

" Anything edible." Some people in the class giggled.

" What do your parents do for a living?" she asked. Travis froze. He didn't have an answer. " Don't be shy Travis." He hated never knowing his real parents. Though his mother was still alive and he saw her every week, that to him didn't really count. A tear hit his seat and some people began to laugh.

" He's crying," someone said mockingly.

" Travis?" she asked trying to look at his face, but he ran out of the class room without his backpack as some of the kids laughed.

A girl in back with Xavier leaned over to him and asked," Why did he run?"

" She asked the wrong question."

---

Five minutes into fifth hour Aelita was in the middle of notes for her ninth grade biology. " All right, a herbivore only eats plants as it's source of energy. Carnivores eat only meat for energy, can anyone tell me what it's called if you eat both?" A few hands went up and she called on a girl in the front row, the know it all.

" Omnivores," she answered the girl confidently.

" Very good Trisha. Now that we have the type of consumers, we need to place them on the food..." before she could continue there was a knock at the classroom door. Looking over she saw Charlie who looked worried about something.

" Oh it's my son, one moment please." She placed her note sheet on her desk and said, " Don't be too loud." She stepped into the hallway and looked at Charlie. " Charlie never interrupt class unless it's important."

" It is mom, Travis ran off campus." Aelita shut the door to her classroom so they wouldn't hear this conversation.

" When?" she asked, a little annoyed with the timing.

" Beginning of first hour," he answered.

" Why am I finding out about this now?" she asked angry, because it took five hours to reach her.

" I just found out as well, Xavier told me during the passing hour, I'm supposed to be in the bathroom right now," he said holding up his hall pass, " Xavier didn't give me details, but he said he ran and hasn't been to class all day. A few people said they saw him leaving campus. I just checked the attendance office, he has cuts from second to fifth."

" Who's his first hour teacher?" she asked, thinking it the best place to look.

" I don't know, I think it was the new chick. Room C-twenty nine."

" Cover my class for me," she said starting to run down the hall.

" Mom, I'm supposed to be in class, I could get suspended for this."

" Charlie, I'll bail you out later okay you won't even get detention. My notes are on the desk. If you need help ask Trisha, she'll help." Before he could answer she turned the corner and was gone. Charlie tucked the pass into his back pocket and entered the room.

" Where's Mrs. Robbia?" asked the girl in the front.

" Family emergency. I'll be teaching for the rest of the class hour. Who's the know it all?" he asked, figuring she'd be Trisha. Everyone in the class pointed at Trisha. " Okay, now where did you leave off?"

" Food chain," answered Trisha, pencil ready to take notes. Odd picked up the notes on her desk and began to write on the board where she left off.

" They need to be placed on the food chain..." he stopped when a paper ball hit the chalk board. He turned around with a smile and said, " Who threw that?" There were a few snickers in the class, and a few pointed fingers. Charlie turned around and continued.

" The food chain. The bottom is plants, or producers. Where do they get their energy from?" he asked facing the class, looking for any sign of the paper ball kid. Noone raised there hand, except Trisha. " Trisha?"

" The sun," she answered.

" Correct. Now herbivores or the primary consumers..." another paper ball hit the chalk board, and Charlie paused for a moment " ...eat the plants. The secondary consumers or the," he asked not facing them.

" Carnivores," answered Trisha of course.

" Good," he began to write a few more notes on the board before talking. He was listening. He heard a paper ball being crumpled up, and then a few kids whispering, ' do it, throw it while he's not looking'

Charlie turned around quickly and caught the paper ball with his left hand and looked straight at a boy in the middle of the classroom, who still had his arm extended from the throw. Charlie dashed across the room and slammed his fists on the kids table who jumped back, almost tipping his chair over.

" What is your name," Charlie asked with a smile, he was enjoying this.

" Um. Roger," the boy answered nervously.

" Tell me Roger, what crime have you committed?" he asked.

" Um...um...ur.."

" Less uming more answering," he said quickly. A boy a table down chuckled and Charlie looked at him and made a loud fake laugh. A few people laughed at that and he faced Roger again.

" I threw a... paper ball."

" No duh smarty pants. I think a punishment is in order."

" What are you going to do, give me a detention?" Roger asked, as if it didn't bother him.

" That's to uncreative. I have an idea, let's all write punishment suggestions, and put them in a hat. Then we'll draw and what ever it says he does."

A minute later Charlie had borrowed a student's hat and was walking down the rows as the kids put the suggestions in the hat. " Nothing too extreme or inappropriate."

After all the suggestions were in he walked back to the front and said, " Trisha if you will." Trisha reached in, opened the paper, and laughed out loud. She handed it to Charlie who looked at it.

" Oh good one. Now I have to others as well," he pulled out two others and read them aloud.

" Roger must stand on his table for the remainder of the class. He has to stand in the corner and be quiet, hmm simple. Oh yeah." After he read them aloud the class voted and Roger got his punishment.

---

Aelita ran down the hall and out the door, moving across the campus to the english department. Entering the main building she crossed a few hallways and was now in the fifth through seventh grade classrooms. Following he C numbers she shortly arrived at C-twenty nine, and knocked loudly. Ms. Santucci looked up from having the children introduce themself and walked to the door.

" Can I help you?" she asked, not liking being disturbed from her first day of teaching.

" What did you say to Travis?" she asked getting straight to the point and not caring about being rude.

" Travis?" she asked confused.

" Yes Travis, my grandson, the child who ran out of your class room first hour."

Ms. Santucci thought hard then remembered, " Oh, Travis Stern."

" Yeah," Aelita said, like she was stupid.

" It's my first day here so I asked the children to tell me something about themselves."

" When he ran out, you were supposed to call me immediately."

" I didn't have a number," she answered back, not liking this rude woman.

" All emergency numbers for all your students was placed in your mailbox, the big yellow envelope." Suddenly Ms. Santucci felt embarrassed, she had the envelope and hadn't opened it.

" You're his grandmother, how old is his mother?" She asked, Aelita looking younger than she was. But still, Angela was young.

" Too young, what did you say to him. Anything could have triggered it."

" I was asking questions about him."

" What did you ask!" she shouted, her patience gone. The children in the class room were now standing near the door.

" Sit down." Aelita said to them, not loud but with authority. They sat down.

" I asked him what his parents did for a living. He began to cry and ran out of my classroom."

Aelita put her finger tips on both temples and began to rub them. " You should have never asked him that question. You were supposed to read the children records, before you say the worst thing possible."

" What is wrong with the question?"she asked, a little annoyed.

" He doesn't know his parents. And if you did what you were supposed to, you would know he has issues with that. It's all over his report."

" Teen mother, abandoned by father?" she asked, thinking that the most logical thing.

" Teen yes, abandoned no. His father was killed before he even knew she was pregnant, and my daughter was shot in the head three months pregnant and they had to put him in a incubator for about seven months. She's been in a coma his entire life."

" Oh my god. I am so sorry."

" You didn't know, but you should've. Where would he go, home is too far away."

" Kids run for a lot of reasons, fear, nervousness, guilt sometimes."

Aelita heard the answered, " Guilt."

" Huh?"

" I think I know where he is. Advise, work on your excuse, cause this might cost you your job," she said as she ran away leaving Ms. Santucci full of guilt and anger at herself.


	6. Travis' birthday wish

Aelita walked through the halls of the hospital, knowing exactly where to go. Taking the elevator up she walked onto the fifth floor and walked down the hall and took a left. Looking through the window of a room she looked in and smiled. Sitting on a chair was Travis, next to him was his mother. She went into the room and sat down next to him without him noticing.

" Not a great feeling is it?" Aelita asked looking at him.

" What?" he asked, startled by her.

" Guilt. Not a good feeling huh." Travis shook his head.

" I'm sorry," he said, for both not seeing her and running away.

" I know, you wouldn't be here if you weren't."

" I'm going to get expelled aren't I?" he asked.

" No, but Ms. Santucci might get fired. Not like I care, I've known her for fifteen seconds and I already don't like her. But if you wanted to see her, you should have ran to me. This was completely dangerous and irresponsible. You could have been kidnaped, killed, or worse."

" I know. What's worse than getting killed?"

" I don't want to explain those things. I hate to say it, but you running away to see her, I'm actually kind of proud. Nice to know you actually care. But it doesn't mean your off the hook."

" I know, and I do care. I'm still bored though, nothing to do but look at her."

" Try talking to her," she suggested.

" She's asleep," he responded.

" Doesn't mean she isn't listening. Give it a try, it does help, it's how I got through this. Tell her something personal," she said moving his hair away from his face. " You need a hair cut."

" Personal, can I talk alone," Travis asked.

" Of course. We're leaving in twenty minutes, we need to explain this to the school, because right now your uncle is teaching my class." He nodded and Aelita stood and left the room.

" This is weird. I'm talking to a sleeping person," he grabbed his mothers hand and began.

" Mom, you know the old superstition that if you tell someone your birthday wish, it won't come true. Well I haven't told anyone mine and it still hasn't happened. I visit you every week, and my entire life, I've never felt one of your hugs, got a kiss on the cheek. So for every birthday, I wished you'd wake up," he said begging to cry.

" I want you to look at me, I want to talk to you, hug you, kiss you, I wanna have a mother. Grandma has been awesome for the last ten years, but she isn't you. My entire life you've been here, but you haven't. So I wished, even prayed that one day you would open your eyes, and know that I actually existed."

Travis put his head down as small shivers ran through his body. Then he calmed down and felt something. It was grip, she was squeezing his hand, barely but it was noticeable. Looking at her heart monitor it began to rise.

Travis looked at her for a second, and saw a few movements from her arms and head. He ran out of the room and said, " Grandma, something's happening." Aelita and Travis went into the room and Aelita saw her hand move. The heart rate began to slow, then stabilized higher than usual. Aelita hit the nurse button and waited.

A minute later and female nurse walked in and asked, " What going on in here." she saw Angela's arm move and ran over and began to watch. It moved again. The nurse lifted an one of Angela eye lids and shined a small flashlight directly into it. The eye twitch from the brightness.

" What's going on?" Travis asked the nurse.

" I think she's waking up," the nurse said shocked. She grabbed the phone and hit one button. " I'm in room E-nineteen and I have a coma patient showing signs of gaining consciousness." she listened and checked the clip board at her bed, " Angela Belpois, gun shot to the head, two thousand thirty nine. I need you two to leave for now." Aelita put her hand on Travis' shoulder and led him out of the room, as a doctor walked past them.

---

Angela opened her eyes and tried to move her hands to cover the light, she could barley lift them. It was actually not that bright in the room, but her eyes hurt. Once her focus came back, she was looking a two doctors and a nurse.

" Ms. Belpois, how do you feel?" one of the doctors asked.

" I can't lift my arms. Why do my eyes hurt?" she asked, still trying to block the light.

" You won't have feeling back for several hours. Your eyes hurt, because you haven't used them in over ten years."

" What?" she asked confused.

" Angela, you've been in a coma for the last ten years. What is your middle name?" he asked.

" Mary, what kind of question is that?"

" Just checking for memory loss. Do you feel any pain at all?" Angela shook her head. She was numb everywhere, but that was obvious. " Your mother is outside, want her to come in?" She nodded as the doctors left the room.

Slowly getting her arm feeling back he placed her hand on her stomach and felt something that wasn't there before. It was a scar. Then everything hit her all at once. Xana, the gun shot, going back in time again, the baby. The baby. It was gone. She feared the worst immediately and began to cry.

Aelita ran into the room and wrapped her arms around the Angela's numb body. She kissed her on the cheek several times then let her go, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks. " Your actually...it's actually...your finally awake. Oh my god honey." Angela looked at her mother.

" It's gone," Angela said crying, " The baby is gone." Aelita smiled at her and held he chin up and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

" No it's not." Aelita said.

" What?" she asked quickly.

" He's just fine, and he's right outside."

" He?" she asked. Aelita nodded. " Please tell me your not joking."

" I'm not. He's twenty feet away. One second." Aelita stood up and opened the door. Travis walked in as Angela lost her voice. " Angela meet your son."

" Hi mom," Travis said nervously. A giant smile filled Angela face as more tears ran down her face. Travis hugged her and said, " I dreamed of this moment everyday."

" Oh my god. Your so big. I missed everything. I don't even know your name," she said disappointed in herself.

" My name is Travis." Angela made a slight laugh at that. Thirteen years ago when Xi, Odd jr and herself traveled back in time to save their parents, Xi had used that name.

" What's so funny about my name?" Travis asked, curious of why Angela would laugh.

" Inside joke. I'd hug you back, but I can barely move my arms."

" I don't care mom. Your awake, and that's all I ever wanted."

It took several hours of waiting. The doctors gave her a few shots to get her strength back, which was slowly returning. Soon she was returning Travis' hugs. Aelita just sat in the chair and watched as the two continued to meet each other. Remembering that she hadn't called Jeremie. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number.

" Yeah Aelita what is it?" Jeremie asked.

" One sec, someone wants to say hi," she handed it to Angela, " your father."

" Hi daddy," Angela said cheerfully. She heard the phone fall out of his hand and hit the floor, hanging up. She laughed and said, " I think he dropped the phone." A minute later he called back.

" It's really me. Come by okay, I'll be in physical therapy all week...Yeah I've meet him... I know he looks just like him."

---

They stayed a few more hours, but Aelita had to get back to the school. " Travis we need to go." Aelita said to Travis who was telling his mother as much about himself as possible.

Angela was starting to ask him about his feeling towards girls, she received a gag as a reply. She was laughing because in a few years that would be the only thing on his mind. Travis didn't hear Aelita, he didn't even turn around.

" Yeah mom?" Angela asked. Aelita looked at the two. They were just starting to talk. It was the first time they had officially met. She knew he had to leave to go explain to the head master about running. Aelita couldn't break them up.

" Nothing. I need to go back to the school. I need to talk to the head master about Travis and possibly Charlie."

" What did he do?" she asked looking at her son with a smile.

" He ran off campus to see you."

" Well that was stupid," she said, not losing her smile. " Wait, aren't you the head master?" Angela asked, remembering fairly clearly she was.

" Maybe ten years ago. I had more important things to do. I'll be back later, you two have fun." Aelita walked out of the room and drove back to the school.

Opening her cell phone for the first time in hours, she saw she had nine messages, all from the head master. Walking straight to his office, she walked in and saw Charlie in the chair.

" Hey mom. Oh yeah we're busted," Charlie said to her as she walked toward her chair next to his.

" Mrs. Robbia please have a seat." Aelita did as told. " Can you please tell me why your son skipped fifth, sixth, and seventh hour to teach your class for you? Can I also ask you why your grandson ran off campus?"

" Look Ms. Santucci said the wrong thing in class, it made him upset and he ran," Aelita explained.

" Off campus though. That is automatically a months suspension. As for Charlie, I don't even know where to begin. This has never happened in the school's one hundred and thirty year history. We really can't punish him because nowhere in the rule book does it say anything about his behavior. How did this even start?"

" Do you have Travis' report. Look in it. It says he's emotionally unstable when it comes to his parents. Ms. Santucci asked him a question about his parents, it sent him off the edge. Ms. Santucci didn't report his runaway and Charlie told me during fifth hour. I had to find him and I needed someone to cover my class."

" Ask a teacher to do it for you, not a student. Tell your mother what you made Roger Phillips do during fifth hour," the head master said to Charlie.

" Yeah. I kinda made him do a hand stand in the corner of the classroom for ten minutes while balancing a book on his feet while reciting the french alphabet." Aelita looked at Charlie who shrugged.

" Mrs. Robbia, Rogers father, Gerald Phillips is one of the academy's highest donators. He paid for the entire east wing. His father won't be happy about this, and we might lose one of our donators."

" I'm sorry. My family comes first."

" Even before your job. Where did Travis go?"

" To the hospital to see his mother."

" It said in his record his mother has been in a coma his entire life. She wasn't going anywhere, I'm still suspending him."

" She's not in the coma anymore," Aelita said.

" Angela woke up?" Charlie asked. Aelita nodded.

" Look I'm sorry. I didn't have time to wait or think. My grandson had been missing for hours. Yesterday he was supposed to see his mother, but he skipped it to see his friends instead. Guilt got the best of him. And he's ten."

" Why isn't he here?"

" His mother just woke up from the coma about four hours ago. This is the first time in his entire life he's even spoken to her. I couldn't separate them for this." The head master thought hard and sympathetically. " Look, could you lower the punishment please. My grandson has had a complicated life."

" Very well. He's suspended for a week, as for Charlie. I need to bring in the board of directors to find his punishment which ranges anywhere from suspension, to expulsion. You can leave now."

Aelita and Charlie were walking to the car when Charlie asked, " Is she really awake?"

" Yep, she woke up. Your driving I need to call some people." Charlie took the wheel as Aelita began to call everyone who cared about Angela, and tell them the news. No one else dropped the phone like Jeremie but they were as emotional. When Aelita and Charlie walked in, Jeremie, Emilie and Kat were already there.

Everyone was gathered around Angela, filling her on what happened in the last ten years. She was extremely sad to hear that Odd jr hadn't come back through sector six. Angela was shocked to see how much the kids had grown since she was shot. Kat was fourteen, with extremely long brown hair that reached her waist, and was wearing glasses with thin frames. Kat now had a two more siblings, a set of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl who were seven years old. Charlie was eight when it happened and now he was eighteen and about to graduate. Keiko came in with her daughter, which surprised her the most.

---

A week later Angela was adjusted to moving again. She could walk, though it was more of a strong wobble. She was staying at her mothers, Angela saying she'd leave as soon as she could but Aelita wouldn't care if she stayed forever at this point.

Angela was laying in bed with Travis still talking. " Travis grandma told me that you were talking to me before I woke up. She thinks that's why I woke up. What did you say?" Angela asked, moving his hair out of his eyes. She couldn't stop staring at them. It was like looking into Xi's.

" I told you my birthday wish I made every year. It was for you to wake up," answered Travis. Angela smiled, and so did he. Travis had never had a moment like this. Angela began to tickle his side. Travis fidgeted around, laughing.

" Your ticklish just like your father, I was hoping you would be. When I found out I was pregnant, at first I was scared. But then I thought, it could be a boy just like you. We both had a wish come true." Travis tried to tickle her, but it didn't work. " I'm not ticklish, don't even try." Travis seemed a little disappointed, but it stopped when Angela began to tickle him again. They both laughed for a good minute before Angela looked at his clock.

" Ten, I think you should be getting to sleep," Angela said, thinking it a decent time to be a ten year olds curfew.

" I know," he said, then yawned. " Will you stay here?"

" Till you fall asleep. I need to talk to grandma, but I'll be back."

" Promise?"

" Promise, now go to sleep, you have school tomorrow." she kissed him on the forehead as he pulled the blankets closer to him and closed his eyes. Angela waited a few minutes for him to fall asleep, and when she was done looking at him left the room quietly.

Angela walked down the hall and passed Charlie's room. It was Sunday night, and on weekends, Charlie stayed at home instead of the school. He was at his desk, writing something for school. His headphones were on so he didn't hear her enter the room. Charlie saw a shadow and turned around.

Pulling his headphones to his shoulders he asked, " Hey, is he asleep?"

Angela nodded and said, " Yeah he is. Mom said it usually takes a while for him to fall asleep."

" It does. Little guy's usually in front of the tv eating ice cream at this hour. So far I think your adjusting to the mommy role fairly well. Don't go soft, parents aren't always fun and games."

" I won't. My dad didn't go soft on me, so I'm going to uphold tradition. He did it to raise me right and I still got pregnant at sixteen," she said, sounding disappointed in herself.

" Don't be so hard on yourself. I might get expelled soon."

" What did you do? I know your not a bad kid."

" Long story. Well I have to finish my report for tomorrow."

" Goodnight Charlie," she said walking out as Charlie put his headphones back on. Angela reached the stairs, and slowly walked down, she was still a little stiff. Walking into the living room, she found her mother sitting on the couch reading a book. Angela sat down and Aelita lowered her book.

" You actually got him to sleep?" she asked impressed.

" Yeah I did. Not as hard as you said it would be."

" It takes me hours, nice to see you have the gift," Aelita said with a smile.

" What gift?"

" The ability to nurture. If that day didn't happen, you would have made a great mother."

" You really think so. I thought I was too young," Angela said, thinking she was.

" I still think sixteen is too young, but none the less you would have done great. I've never seen him so alive. For the last ten years, he was always happy, but it was an unstable happiness. I took him to therapist and he said he was emotionally unstable. He's a good kid, good since of right and wrong. His grades could be better though."

" What are they like?" Angela asked, wanting to know everything about him.

" Last report card he had one A, two Bs, a C, and three Ds. No matter what I do with him, he always seems... distracted. I think it was because of you, but maybe that will change now."

" Mom. I just wanna say how thankful I am. You said you wouldn't play mom, but you did anyway. Dad told me how close he was to saying that my pregnancy should have terminated. You let me have him, and not only that, you took him in for me. I'll never be able to thank you fully, but I will leave as soon as possible."

" Angela, he's family I had to. As long as I can remember, you've planned every step in your life. When something you didn't plan happened, you'd find a way to fit it in. If you thought you could have managed him at your age, I thought you could. And now that I've seen you in action at the whole mommy role, I know you could've, or can now. You can stay as long as need, I'd say as long as you want, but I know you don't like living with me now that you have the option not to." Angela hugged her mother as hard as she could.

" I still fell like I'm sixteen though," Angela said, because she wasn't but it still felt like she was.

" You'll get used to it, cause quite frankly, so do I." Angela giggled and hugged her again.

---

After their conversation, Angela walked back up stairs, said goodnight to Charlie again, and went into Travis' room. He was laying exactly how she left him, and she crawled into the bed just where she was. Pulling the covers over her, she kissed him on the forehead and closed her eyes.

---

Charlie didn't get expelled from Kadic, but he did get a two week suspension. Aelita didn't lose her job, neither did Ms. Santucci, which disappointed much of the administration at Kadic. They changed Travis' schedule so he wouldn't have Ms. Santucci. The school didn't lose Gerald Phillips donations, thinking his son getting awkwardly punished, rather funny actually. He said that his son is pain in the ass and really needed a creative punishment, so naturally he was delighted when Roger got one.

A month later Angela was starting to get into the whole mommy personality. Aelita was impressed how professionally she handled herself with Travis. She had never witnessed Travis going to bed on time, not watching tv when his homework wasn't done, or finishing his chores. Angela got onto him on everything that he was supposed to do. Soon it was becoming routine for him, and he did it without being told.

Aelita was sitting on the couch reading a book with Travis watching tv next to her. Angela walked into the room and looked straight at Travis and asked, " Is your homework done?"

" I'll get to it later," he said not looking at her. Angela picked up the remote and turned the tv off.

" Not later, now. Before you forget, then you can watch all the tv want for today." Travis and Angela walked up to his room, and he began his homework. Angela helped him when needed, which was a rare occasion. His grades to Angela were just letters on a sheet of paper. When she saw him work, she knew his grades were not even near an accurate representation of his true intelligence. Travis flew straight through math and science, but english he had some trouble with. In forty five minutes his homework was done and he began to watch tv again.

The next few months went by quick. Angela was almost a pro with her son. Aelita noticed Travis seemed generally happier. He complained less, did his chores, did his homework, and wasn't as much of a smart ass.

At the end of the school year his report came as well as a phone call from his counselor. Aelita, Angela, and Travis had to attend a meeting about his grades. The three sat in a small room with three chairs in front of a desk. At the desk was a middle aged man with bald spot that he was upset about.

" What is this about?" Aelita asked the counselor, the letter not saying, just telling them they needed to come in.

" I brought you here today to talk about Travis' grades. You see, he has been accused of cheating in almost all of his classes."

" I didn't cheat," Travis said in his defence.

" Sir, Travis never cheats. Do you have any proof?" Aelita asked.

" Quite frankly no. But I have never seen such a dramatic improvement without foul play."

" You think he's cheating because he's doing better. If you have no proof, Travis hasn't cheated and your just wasting our time," Angela said to the counselor, " He's doing better, because I've been helping him study and do his homework. But if you still feel he's cheated, then make him take the tests again and watch him."

" That can be arranged. How about tomorrow afternoon at two."

" Alright see you tomorrow." The three left the room and the next day Travis took the tests again, and received an even higher grade. They dropped the charges and even gave Travis the option to skip a grade, which he did. Everything seemed to start going well for Travis since his mother woke up, and things were only getting better.


	7. Late night visit

**Five years after the events in chapter five.**

Five years past and Angela pretty much had her life back. A year ago she had moved out of her mothers with Travis after finishing college. Aelita still had the money for that and gave it to Angela who used it to go back to school. After that she got a descent job and moved out with Travis into an apartment near the school.

Though Travis was only fifteen, he would be graduating this year. Taking all honors and advanced classes, he had earned enough credits to graduate three years early. Most of his friends were his age still, but he had good acquaintances with his classmates.

Aelita was a little sad that year because her father died. Franz Hopper died at age ninety six. It was a painless death, dying in his sleep. The phone call from the hospital still makes Aelita scared to answer the phone. They had his funeral a week later and everyone went back to their lives. It was the first funeral they had been to that was caused naturally. Aelita was starting to feel lonely. Charlie moved out as well and moved out of the city for work, and now she lived alone in a house only filled with painfully happy memories.

Things were going good for the most part, until Charlie died. The police reported it as a suicide, but Aelita knew he had no reason to kill himself. Then suddenly, more deaths began to occur. Sissi died a month later, the police reported it as a robbery and murder, though nothing was stolen. Then later Justin died as well, car crash as reported. His car was just fine, the police said he was in a friends. There was no apparent pattern to the deaths, nor did they all have one thing in common. Yumi and Ulrich didn't feel these things were accidents.

And weren't to far off.

---

Ulrich and Yumi were asleep in their bed. It had been a long week for both of them with the death of there second son. Yumi had taken it the hardest and both couldn't pull themselves together to do what they usually did Saturday night. They still were sleeping close to each other, Yumi's arm wrapped over Ulrich who was facing the wall and the alarmclock. Suddenly Ulrich heard a noise from down stairs.

" Yumi," Ulrich said waking up quickly and quietly.

" I heard it," she answered, " think it's a robber." They heard foot steps leading up the stairs as Yumi rolled to the side of the bed and reached under the mattress. Ulrich reached under from his side and pulled out a gun. They both rose and quickly readied themselves on opposite sides of the door.

The door was kicked open as three men burst in. They were wearing tactical black clothing, and were carrying silenced weaponry. Ulrich hit the man with the butt of his gun and the man fell to the ground. Yumi hit another and he did the same. The last man fired, missing before Yumi shot and he fell to the ground dead.

They heard footsteps leading up again as Ulrich took one of their wallets and walked to the center of the room. Placing the gun on the bed he put his palms together as Yumi used his hands as a lift and opened a trap door on the ceiling, climbing into it. Ulrich took of the mens gun and threw it up to Yumi and jumped up.

Yumi helped pull him as Ulrich took a few breaths and said, " I'm getting to old for this shit." The closed the trapdoor and Ulrich took out small flashlight and shined it onto the mans wallet and looked at it.

Right away he saw a badge and said, " They're government."

" What do they want with us?" Yumi asked looking at the wallet. Four more men entered their bedroom and checked the bodies.

" Officer down, I repeat officer down. Suspects have left the room what are my orders?"

" Find and eliminate them. Use of live ammunition allowed." The government agent put on a pair of goggles and looked around the room.

Looking up he aimed and said," Suspects found, they're in the attic, open fire!"

" Fuck!" The agents began to fire as Ulrich and Yumi began to run away as bullets burst out from beneath them. Bits of wood were exploding all around them as they made for the other side of the attic. Ulrich was hit in the leg, making him fall to the ground. Yumi carried him as the bullets stopped.

" Lost visual, the heating vents are obstructing my view."

Ulrich took off his shirt as Yumi used it to bandage his lower left shin. Quietly they continued to crawl, and slid down a slide leading to the garage. Ulrich and Yumi pushed a shelf out of the way as Ulrich was about to get in the drivers seat but Yumi took the wheel because of Ulrich leg. They hit the garage open button in the garage as more gun shots arose. Behind the doors was three more men.

Yumi hit the gas and back up into one of them. He flew over the car and hit the ground, as the other two began to fire at them. Pulling out of the driveway, Yumi switch to drive and drove away as fast as their car could.

It took a few minutes, but soon the government agents were on them. They began to open fire as Ulrich and Yumi ducked down again. Ulrich took the gun he stole and began to return fire. He saw the bullets hit the car, but not do any damage.

" They're bullet proof!" Ulrich shouted to his wife who was doing her best at driving.

" The tires!" she shouted back and swerved to the left making Ulrich lose balance.

" Easy dammit!"

" I'm making us a harder target, hold on." She swerved again, knocking Ulrich to the other side of the car. Ulrich crawled to the back and began to shot out the back window. He hit the tire of one car that swerved at first but managed to right itself before losing control.

" Get down!" Ulrich shouted when he saw a agent come out with a large machine gun and began fire. Bullets began to tear through the car and Ulrich ducked down. Yumi ducked as best she could but took one to the shoulder. The bullet went through, blood spraying on the windshield. They began to slow down fast as Yumi tried to stay conscious.

" Yumi!" Ulrich shouted, looking back when he heard her shout in pain.

" I'm fine, start shooting back, I feel like a sitting duck." Ulrich looking up again and began to fire, hitting the gunman who feel over the hood and was flattened by the car, that with one tire out swerved and hit the one next to it. Now they only had two cars on them and Ulrich fired , and hit the front tires of first one. The car spun out of control and hit a parked car.

" Let this one get closer I have an idea," said Ulrich. Yumi slowed down as the last car rammed them from behind. An agent crawled out of the sun roof and jumped onto the roof of their car. Yumi slammed on the brake for a second, making him fall back and land on the hood of the car. Ulrich fired and hit the agent on the hood, who slid off the car and was ran over by the one chasing them.

His gun was still on the hood so Ulrich opened the broken window and grabbed it and fired at the car behind them. The bullets tore through the windshield, hitting the driver causing the car to crash and flip.

" I thought they were bullet proof?" Yumi asked surprised.

" They are, but this gun has armor piercing rounds, I figured it would because of how easily it tore through our car," Ulrich answered putting on a shirt he found in the car and moved into the passenger seat.

" Where are we going?" Ulrich asked Yumi while moving to the passenger seat.

" Don't know, but you should call the others, they might be targets as well."

Ulrich open the glove box and took out his cell phone and went through his listed numbers. He first came to Jeremie's and hit call. It rang ten times before he answered in a groggy and irritated voice.

" Ulrich do you know what time it is?" Jeremie asked, hunched over his bed.

" Yes I do. Jeremie I think your in danger."

" What, why?"

" A bunch of government agents just broke into my home and tried to kill me and Yumi. We shook them, but we're not sure for how long."

" One sec someone's at my door," Jeremie said removing the phone from his ear.

" Don't answer it!" Jeremie didn't hear him and the next thing he heard was gunshots and the phone fall to the floor.

" Jeremie!" It was silent for a few seconds before he heard a woman scream, then more gunshots. Ulrich heard the phone go dead, and he took it away from his ear and hit off.

" Jeremie and Emilie are dead." He went through his numbers and called Aelita and received no answer. " We need go to Aelita's she could still be alive."

They hid the car in an alley as Ulrich took the first aid kit from the back moved stuff out of the way. He lay Yumi in the back and said, " Take your shirt off, I need to see the shot."

Yumi took her shirt off painfully and Ulrich saw the damage. Looking at the wound closer Ulrich said, " Didn't hit a nerve or a bone, just muscle. Probably why it straight through. The bleeding stopped but we need to patch it before it gets infected."

" I know Ulrich. Your not the only person who knows first aid. How bad is it though?"

" Not too bad, but it'll hurt like a bitch for awhile."

" I've had worse."

" You need to be topless for this, I can't properly bandage it.."

" Just take it off, I'm your wife why should I be shy about you seeing my boobs." Ulrich unhooked Yumi's bra for her because she couldn't reach around. Then he treated the wound with peroxide making her wince. Placing a bandage pad on both ends of the wound he wrapped it and took off his shirt and gave it to Yumi.

" Call Aelita again, best to not fear the worst."

Ulrich called and was relieved when she answered. " Did you call me earlier, what's going on?"

" Aelita, we don't have time to explain, but you need to get out. Don't answer your door if someone knocks. The government is targeting us. Get out and lie low."

" What about the others."

" I'm fairly positive they're dead. Get out and met us at point zero."

" Alright." They both hung up.

An hour later Ulrich and Yumi pulled into a garage and parked the car next to Aelita's. They knocked on the door twice, a moment later Aelita answered it and they stepped inside the safe house known as point zero. It was roomy and comfortable, but the last place any of them hoped to be at. They sat in the living room and Ulrich and Yumi told her what had happened to them. Aelita got to point zero without event, but still felt like she was in danger.

After Xi and Odd were killed, Aelita and the others thought it best to build a safe house in case xana ever appeared again. This so far didn't seem to appear to be xana, but none the less this was the only reliable place. Aelita financed the construction of the house with the fortune Odd left her.

The next day Ulrich was using a radio receiver to try to find a frequency being used by the government. He hit almost every radio station and a few kids with walkie talkies, but stopped when he heard a man talking.

" We lost the Stern's and never found Robbia. What are our orders?"

" We need to regroup and plan our approach. Everyone gather at the Fritge plaza at twelve hundred hours. Begin radio silence."

" Gotcha," said Ulrich with a smile.


	8. Close call

At noon Ulrich and Yumi were on a roof top overlooking the Fritge plaza downtown. They had a pair of binoculars and a laser microphone; a devise used to hear things from a distance. They watched as three black cars like the ones from the night before pulled in and twelve government agents walked out. They all looked very official even from were Ulrich and Yumi stood. Ulrich aimed the microphone and listened.

" The Sterns escaped and more or less warned Robbia. Where do we start looking?" one man asked.

" I say we start with close family members, who do we have for the Sterns?"

" Only a Hiroki Ishiyama, but he's in Japan so I don't think he'd know anything. But for Mrs. Robbia, we have her daughter and grandson. The daughter as we know is a target, as well as Katerina Belpois."

" We'll start there. Team one go to the college that Katerina is at. Team two to Angela Belpois' apartment. Group three, go to the houses and look for any sign of their whereabouts. Keiko, try to get in touch with your parents." Ulrich heard that and pulled out his binoculars and looked at the meeting. A woman turned her head and Ulrich saw it was indeed his daughter.

" Ulrich," Yumi said to him after seeing her.

" I see her. We need to get to Angela and Kat. Call Aelita and tell her to ger her daughter and Travis. We need to get Kat and the twins. I'll get Kat, the twins are at their friends house, you need to get them. This is the address." Ulrich handed Yumi a sheet of paper and they left the roof in a hurry. Aelita received her instructions and left immediately to Angela's.

---

Ulrich pulled into the college parking lot and scanned the area for the black cars. Once he saw it was clear he opened his door and tucked his gun into the back of his waist and pulled his shirt over it. Walking into the lobby he went to information desk where a college kid was working.

" I need the dorm number for Katerina Belpois," Ulrich said to college boy.

" Are you family?" he asked, doing his job.

Ulrich took something out and showed the kid a badge. It was same badge he stole from one agents the night before. " Katerina is a government priority, I need to see her now."

" Oh right away sir," the kid typed in a few things on a computer and said, " She's in room three twenty seven. Do you have a gun?" the kid asked like an excited three year old. Ulrich nodded and showed him the gun handle.

" Cool. Aren't you a little old?" He asked. Ulrich was sixty three, but he didn't feel that old.

" Where's the room?" Ulrich asked annoyed. He hated being treated like he needed to be in a nursing home.

" Third floor, follow the numbers." Ulrich took the elevator to the third floor and walked down the hallway. It was empty, probably because it was mid afternoon and everyone was out. Following the odd numbers on the left side, Ulrich walked down the hallway.

"Three twenty one...three twenty three...three twenty five...three twenty seven." Ulrich knocked on the door and waited, he didn't receive a reply. He knocked again, even louder.

" Kat," Ulrich said aloud. Placing his ear on the door he heard her blasting her music. " Good song choice," Ulrich said to himself. Trying to turn the doorknob, he discovered it was locked. Then the song ended and her listened closely. He heard something hitting the wall, and some moaning like sound.

Thinking the worse, Ulrich pulled the gun out and kicked her door open and ran in. Ulrich aimed the gun at the bed to see Kat naked on top of her boy friend bouncing hard rocking the bed against the wall.

The two saw Ulrich and Kat rolled to the side and shouted, " Does anyone fucking knock anymore!" She covered herself with her blanket as her boyfriend was freaking out.

" Get out," Ulrich said to the boyfriend who took a bed sheet, grabbed his pants and ran.

" What the fuck is going on?" Kat shouted at him angry and embarrassed.

" Get dressed, we're leaving."

" Get the fuck out! Fucking knock dammit!" Kat shouted, still trying to cover herself.

" Fucking turn down your fucking music, so you can fucking hear when someone is fucking knocking. Get dressed now we're leaving."

" I'm not going anywhere unless I hear it from my parents."

" Your parents are dead," Ulrich said coldly.

" What?" she asked, making sure she heard that right.

" Look I don't have time to explain, just get dressed, and come with me. Your in danger."

" Alright fine, just get the fuck out." Ulrich turned her music off and walked out, closing her door that couldn't stay shut anymore.

" Fucking teenagers."

---

Down stairs two men walked to the information desk. The kid working there looked up and asked, " Visiting?"

" Yes. We are here to see Katerina Belpois," The one in charge said.

" Government right. One of your guys is already here."

" What are you talking about?"

" Old guy. Six feet tall, dark brown hair." The two agents looked at each other and pulled out their guns. " Well she's in room three twenty seven, third floor," he said quickly ducking under his desk. The agents went straight for the elevator and took it up.

The door opened and the agents ran out. Ulrich looked down the hallway and said, " Shit." He pulled his gun out and fired at them. The agents ducked back into the elevator and then returned fire. Ulrich went back into Kat's room who still didn't have a bra on.

" What the fuck!" she shouted at him, covering her chest.

" Times up princess!" Ulrich shouted back at her. He leaned out into the hallway and fired at the agents, hitting one in the head. Ulrich heard his gun click empty as he pulled back into the room.

" Dammit hurry up!" Kat skipped the bra and went straight for a shirt and put it on. The agent rushed the door and was about to fire before Ulrich kick his gun up, making him shoot the ceiling. Ramming the man into the wall, Ulrich hit him in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. The agent dropped the gun as Ulrich head butted him and threw him into Kat's room. Picking up the gun Ulrich held it to the agent's head.

" Why are you targeting us?" Ulrich shouted at him.

" I don't know, I just follow orders." Ulrich hit him in the head with the butt of the gun and asked him again. " I don't know." the agent answered again. Ulrich punched him in the face four times, then held looked at him again.

" If you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll spill your brains all over the ground. Why are you targeting us?"

" I can't tell you, they'd kill me."

" I'll save them time." Ulrich said before shooting the man in the head. Kat let out a small scream when she looked at his dead body.

Ulrich stood up and said, " We're leaving." Ulrich and Kat left her room and made for the stairs instead of the elevator. When they opened the door to the outside Ulrich saw his car being searched by more agents. They saw Ulrich who shut the door as bullets hit it. Running back up the stairs the agents burst through the door and ran up and after them.

" Do you have a car?" Ulrich asked Kat as they ran back up the stairs.

" Yeah, back parking lot."

" Is there a safe and fast way to get there?"

" There's a fire escape on the third floor. Follow me."

Ulrich and Kat ran onto the third floor hallway and were about to cut the corner, before their pursuers caught up and fired. Kat was hit in the arm, the hit making her lose balance and hit a wall. Ulrich helped her regain focus and they continued to run. They went out a window and down the fire escape. When they were halfway down the agents began to fire down. Sparks flew off the metal bars, some inches away from them.

Sliding down the ladder Ulrich looked up and fired up, hitting an agent in the chest, but his bulletproof vest caught the bullet. They ran through the parking lot as Kat unlocked her car, thanking god she grabbed the pair of pants she left her keys in.

Kat started the car and drove out of the parking lot. Ulrich pulled her head down as the back window was blown out. Ulrich looked out the back and returned fire, hitting one who fell to the ground, injured not dead. Kat drove as fast as she could with Ulrich's instructions and soon was parking her car at point zero. They weren't followed, the agents having to help their own at the college.

---

Else Where...

Yumi pulled into the driveway of the house Ulrich gave her the address of. Closing the car door she walked to the front door and rang the door bell. A twelve year old girl answered the door who looked up at Yumi.

" I'm looking for Benjamin and Jean, are they here?" The girl nodded and walked inside. A moment later the twins walked to the door and looked at Yumi. " Hey guys, your parents asked me to get you. Get your things and come with me." The twins looked at each other and Ben looked at Yumi.

" My mom or dad didn't call us, we can't go unless we hear it from them." Yumi's cell phone rang and she answered it right away.

" Yumi, I got Kat. Did you get the twins?" Ulrich's voice said from the other line.

" Put Kat on the phone, they won't go with me unless someone they trust tells them to." Yumi handed Jean the phone and listened to what her older sister had to say. A minute later they were grabbing their backpacks and leaving.

Yumi and the twins buckled their seatbelts then Yumi adjusted her rearview mirror and saw a black car just parking on the street.

" Kids, get down!" Yumi reached in the back and covered the children as the car was bombarded with bullets. The windows shattered, spreading glass everywhere. Yumi put it in reverse and drove out of the driveway while being shot at intensely. The children were screaming loud as Yumi switched to drive and drove down the road.

" Everyone all right?" Yumi asked the kids in the back. They were too scared to answer and Yumi said, " Ben, Jean, were you hit?" Ben shook his head and looked at his sister, who was holding her side. Her hand was covered in blood and she looked very faint and pale. She had been hit.

" Jean's hurt Mrs. Stern," Said Ben then looked at his sister.

" I'm fine," she said weakly and very unconvincingly. " Just a little cut." Yumi looked behind her.

" That's not a little cut. Ben, there's a towel in the back, grab that and place it over Jean's injury. We need to stop the bleeding." Ben unbuckled his seat belt and crawled into the back. A moment later he crawled back over and next to his sister. Jean lifted the side of her shirt up and saw how bad it was. Ben placed the towel over the wound and held it there.

" Is it bad Ben?" Yumi asked looking out the rearview mirror for a black car.

" Can't tell, but there's a lot of blood. Is she going to be okay?" Ben asked, looking to Yumi.

" Of course," Yumi lied, " But don't take the pressure off it." The car was suddenly lunged forward from being rammed from behind. Ben kept his balance and kept the towel over his sisters wound. Yumi pulled out her gun and fired it out the window, the bullets bouncing off the windshield.

The car was rammed again and Ben fell to the ground. He recovered quick and put his sisters weak hand over the towel while he buckled himself in next to Jean. Up ahead was a intersection and they had th red light. Yumi hit the gas as hard as she could and held her breath.

They drove through the intersection, making cars swerve out of the way and crash into each other. The black car was hit from the side and flipped over, then crushed by an semi, exploding. Yumi and the twins car had innumerous close hits but made it past the intersection untouched. Letting out a deep breath Yumi looked behind her and saw the black car get hit by the semi and explode.

" Close call huh," she said to the twins an kept driving.

---

Aelita pulled into the parking lot for Angela's apartment building and looked around for a black car before proceeding. Going up the stairs and knocking on the first door Aelita waited for her daughter to answer.

" One moment," Angela said from the inside. The door opened a minute later and Angela looked at her mother surprised. " Oh mom, what is it?"

" We need to leave now, I don't have time to explain. Where's Travis?"

" He's at the school making up a test he missed from when he was sick last week. What's going on?"

" Get in the car, we need to get him." Angela looked at her mother and knew right away how serious she was. They got in Aelita's car and began to drive to Kadic.

" Does he have a cell?" Aelita asked. Angela nodded and called her son, who had his phone off because he was taking a test.

" It's off," Angela said when her call went straight to his voice mail.

" Then we need to hurry."

---

Travis was sitting in classroom with about ten others students with him. All of the students were seniors and were eighteen or seventeen. Travis was the youngest in the room at age fifteen. The test was in calculus, which was Travis' best subject. Twenty minutes after the tests were distributed Travis walked to front of the classroom and placed his test on the teachers desk. Everyone looked up at him because noone else was even halfway done. Travis sat back down and pulled out a book from his backpack.

Five minutes later there was a knock at the door and the teacher rose to his feet. He opened the door and was looking at two men wearing black suits and ear pieces.

The teacher and the men talked for a few seconds before the teacher turned around and said, " Travis, these men need to talk to you." Travis closed his book and walked to the door. When he stepped outside one of the men grabbed him and slammed his chest into a locker.

" What the hell, let me go!" Travis shouted at him.

" Travis Stern, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent..." The agent began before Travis head butted the his face with the back of his head. The agent fell to the ground and Travis kicked his partner in the shin making him fall to a knee.

" Like hell I am!" Travis ran down the hallway as one of the agents pulled out a gun. He was about to fire before his partner lowered it.

" We're in a school hold your fire. He's not a target, he's bait." His partner nodded and ran after him. " We got a runner."

Travis burst out of the doors of the school's west wing and dashed down the courtyard. Hot on his trail was the agent. Some of the students were in the courtyard and saw Travis running.

Travis ran pass his friend Xavier and yelled, " Stall him!" Xavier looked up and saw the agent. When the agent ran by Xavier knocked a trash can in front of him and the agent fell to the ground, but recovered quickly. Pulling out his cell phone he turned it on and saw that his mother called, so called her back.

" Mom, the cops are after me. I swear I didn't do anything," Travis said when his mother answered.

" I know, they're not cops. Don't let them catch you. Run out to the front. Hurry." Travis looked behind him and a moment later he was tackled to the ground and pinned down. " Get off of me!"

" Don't resist arrest," the agent said placing handcuffs on one of his hands. Travis elbowed him in the face and knocked the man off him. He got three feet before he heard a gun shot and fell to the ground.

" Don't you move you little bastard!" Travis held his lower shin and shouted in pain. The agent finished cuffing Travis and said, " As I said, you have the right to remain silent anything you say or do will be used against you in a court of law. You the right to a attorney, if you can't afford one, one will be provided..." he didn't get to finished the rights because he was knocked off Travis by Xavier.

" Run!" Travis rose to his feet and limped away as Xavier held the agent down. The agent knocked Xavier away and began to run, but was tackled to the ground again. He kicked Xavier in the face, then shot him. Xavier hit the ground holding his chest trying to breathe.

The agent aimed at Travis and fired as he rounded a corner. The bullet hit the brick wall and Travis kept running, but slowly because of his leg. Running out the front gates he looked around and saw no one. A second later a car drove around the corner fast and stopped in front of him.

The back door opened and his mother shouted, " Get in!" Travis ran and jumped into the car as the agent rounded the corner and fired at them. Travis shut the door as bullets hit the outside of the car and Aelita hit the gas and drove away.

" Targets heading south on Kadic street, blue compact." Aelita drove fast and carefully, cutting off the main road and into alleys. They lost the agents and were pulling into the large four car garage at point zero. Aelita looked over and saw the car Ulrich took and the three went in the safe house. They got the handcuffs off Travis and Aelita filled Angela and Travis in on recent events.

Ulrich was sitting on the couch waiting for Yumi, because she had the longest drive. Aelita was patching up the gun shot to the arm Kat took while escaping while Angela fixed Travis up.

When he heard the garage opening Ulrich walked out of the room and into the garage. Yumi carried Jean out in a rush as Kat was still trying to figure out what was happening. Yumi placed the twelve year old girl on the table. Looking at the gun shot and thinking about how long it had gone untreated, she knew right away Jean wasn't going to make it. Jean was crying now, and breathing deep. The bleeding was severe, and noone knew how to tell her.

" Am I going to die?" she asked Yumi after a long sob. Yumi didn't answer immediately, she looked into the child's scared and painful eyes. " Where's my mom and dad?" she asked.

" They're not here Jean. I need you to be brave. Death isn't that bad. I've died before, and it wasn't the end, it was just another adventure," Yumi answered.

" I don't wanna die," she said, her tears rolling off her face and dripping onto the table. " Why is so cold in here?"

" I forgot to turn the heat on. Just close your eyes, and let sleep take you. When you wake up, the pain will be gone, I promise." Jean closed her eyes, and a minute later she would never open them again. Yumi took a blanket and placed it over her body. Washing Jeans blood off her hands, Yumi went into the living room, and told them. Kat had an emotional breakdown, and feel asleep crying. Travis turned on the news and gathered everyone around it.

" The french government is after a group of fugitives who have eluded government agents several times within the last forty eight hours. The fugitives are Ulrich and Yumi Stern who are charged for the death of their son Justin who died in a car crashed after they sabotage his vehicle. Another is Aelita Robbia who is responsible for murdering her father, her husband, and her husbands ex wife. Another is Angela Belpois, who murdered her father and fathers wife, and is charged of kid napping her half siblings, fraternal twins Benjamin and Jean Belpois. The children are suspected to be dead.

" Katerina Belpois is charged with assisting her half sister Angela, and Angela's son Travis Stern is charged for shooting a fellow classmate, fifteen year old Xavier Douglas, who is said to have died later this evening. This group is extremely dangerous." The screen showed pictures of them. " If you have any information of there whereabouts, call the police immediately."

After they watched the broadcast, they knew one thing. The shit had hit the fan. " The government is framing us. Which means, Charlie was murdered, Sissi wasn't robbed, and Justin's crash wasn't an accident. Why do they want us dead so desperately?" Ulrich asked everyone. No one had an answer. Yumi however had an idea.

" Keiko. She's involved in this somehow, we find her, make her talk."

" Whoa Yumi," Aelita said to her friend, " You aren't seriously suggesting we torture your daughter for information."

" Did I stutter. I want this shit taken care of now. If my daughter is responsible for my friends deaths not to mention the death of an innocent child. I'll kill her myself."


	9. Pulling the strings

Keiko was walking up the stairs to her house when she saw her front door was left ajar. Lifting up her pant leg she pulled her gun from its case and checked to if it was loaded. She cocked the gun and slowly pushed her door open.

Aiming inside of her house, she saw that the lights were all out, like she had left them. Stepping cautiously into the house she kept the gun ready, her ears listening for the slightest noise. Walking into her living room she turned on a light and looked around.

Keiko checked the entire first floor of her house and found nothing unusual. Slowly she moved upstairs, the gun aimed high, looking back every other step. She checked her and her husbands bedroom, and found nothing. Entering the guest room she found the same thing she found in her room, nothing. Opening Lili's room, she found nothing. Keiko stared into the room and hoped she'd see her daughter in her bed, Lili wasn't there. After clarifying the house empty she walked back downstairs to the door that was still open.

Putting the gun on her table she walked through the living room to the front door that was still open, letting in a nice breeze. She grabbed the door and swung it closed, a moment later, was kicked in the chest by someone standing behind the door. Keiko's attacker walked into the light to reveal it was, her mother.

Keiko scrambled to her feet and ran to the kitchen to get her gun. Looking at the table she saw the gun was gone, but something else was there instead., her father. Ulrich was spinning the gun on his finger with a smile. Keiko turned to run, forgetting about her mother. Yumi kicked her and Keiko landed on a chair.

Ulrich, Kat, and Aelita began to tie her down as she squirmed and struggled. It took a good minute, but they had her robed, tapped, and handcuffed to the chair.

" What the hell is matter with all of you?" Keiko asked trying to squirm out of her restraints. " Let me go." To her surprise and shock, Yumi slapped Keiko across the face to shut her up.

" We're asking the questions Keiko not you. What is your connection with the government?"

" What are you talking about?"

" Don't act dumb Keiko. We saw you at the Fritge plaza at noon yesterday. Why is the government after us, why do they want us dead, and most of all how are you involved in it?" Keiko lowered her head in defeat.

" I don't know what your talking about," she lied. Yumi skipped slapping and punched her. They kept asking her questions for an hour, and every time they didn't get results, she got hurt. Yumi was doing most of the abuse, Ulrich could never touch her and live with himself. Keiko had two black eyes, split lips, a bloody nose, and several bruises. Three hours into the interrogation Yumi got fed up and held a gun to Keiko's head.

" Stop lying. I don't want to bury anymore bodies. Keiko tell me, I don't want to kill you."

" Mom you can't kill me, you don't have the spin." Yumi had, had enough and pulled the trigger. Ulrich knocked the gun up and the bullet hit the wall.

" We can't get information if she's dead Yumi. Calm down."

" Thanks daddy, you can't hurt me. I'm your daughter, parental love will stop you."

" Parental love this," said Kat who punched her in the face. Aelita pulled her back as Kat tried to get in a few more punches.

" Kat, calm down. We'll get nothing if we pound her into a pulp."

" She's responsible for my parents deaths. My little sister is dead because of her."

" Jean's dead?" Keiko said in shock and concern. " It can't be, she wasn't a target."

" Who are the targets? What are you getting from this?" Ulrich asked her.

Keiko hadn't known a child had been killed. It made her realized she didn't want anyone else to die. " Look this is all about the lyoko case from ninety four."

" What are you saying."

" I'm saying this is all about the program Carthage. The government is taking care of the loose ends. They are killing anyone who was in the lab on the day Xi, Angela, and Odd jr came back. The french government has accused everyone involved for treason against France."

" Travis wasn't there, why were they after him?" Aelita asked.

" Bait. Just like the twins, but Jean was hit in the cross fire."

" That case closed in ninety five, who reopened the case, and why? Who's pulling the strings?"

" I can't tell you. He'd kill her," Keiko said, a tear going down her cheek.

" Kill who. Who'd kill who?" Ulrich asked, looking his daughter in the eye.

" He'd kill Lili."

" They have Lili? You were blackmailed. By who? Who's the mastermind?" Ulrich asked.

" I can't tell you, he'd kill me, then kill her."

" What makes you think I won't?" Yumi asked pointing the gun at her head again.

" Yumi," Ulrich said to his wife. Yumi looked up at Ulrich who shook his head. " My turn Yumi." Ulrich stepped in front of Keiko and crouched down to look at her face his daughter.

" Tell me Keiko do you know what is worse that death?" he asked, and received no reply. " It is being in so much pain, you wish you were dead. And then no one grants you your wish, and you live in pain. That is what I'll do to you, if you don't tell me who is pulling the strings."

Keiko looked at her father. Could he really do that to her? She knew when her father was serious, he didn't blink while talking. He really would make her beg for death.

" Alright. It's Toby."

" Your husband? He did this, why?"

" Oh I feel so stupid for not noticing."

" Noticing what?"

" For not noticing Toby was xana." Everyone gasped, Ulrich not aloud. " Before I married him, before I even met him, xana put Toby in lyoko and drained him, like he tried to do to dad nearly fifty years ago. Toby may be american, but's he's high in the french government. He reopened the case to kill you. He just wants you all dead."

" You said it was about Carthage."

" It still is. He wants to gain complete control of Carthage, and use it to start a war. He knew if you were alive, you might be able to stop him. I'm so sorry, but Lili. She's everything to me, even if her father is the devil."

" The devil that's a bit harsh don't you think?" The all turned around and standing there was Toby. Xana.

" What did I say if you talked?" Xana asked Keiko. Before she could answer xana shot Keiko in the head and kept the gun aimed up. To his shock, he had four guns aimed at him. Xana held his gun in the air, as if surrendering, then shot the light above him and vanished in darkness. The four kept their guns ready, then they heard the front door open and xana run out. Ulrich ran to the door after him, and when he stepped outside, felt cold steel on his left temple.

Yumi heard the gunshot and a body drop. The three ran to the door and saw Ulrich laying there, blood all around his body and a permanent expression of shock on his face. Yumi screamed in anger and fired at xana, who was already running down across the street. When he vanished in the darkness again, Yumi and the others heard sirens. Cop cars, swat trucks, helicopters, the whole nine yards were on the house in seconds.

The police open fired as Yumi ran back into the house and shut the door. " Get down!" Holes were blown into the house, glass shattered, and the three remaining in the house, ducked down. After thirty seconds of shooting everything went silent. Only the kitchen lamp survived the bombardment, but fell over and crashed on the floor. A thin smoke filled the house.

" Aelita, Kat you guys okay?" Yumi asked everyone.

" Good, not hit, Aelita?" Kat asked.

" Peachy. Now what. I don't think we can negotiate anything with them. I know I'm supposed to be the optimistic one, but who am I kidding. Nice knowing you guys." A moment later a few tear gas bombs flew through what remained of the window and slid across the room next to you Yumi. Yumi picked one up and chucked it back outside, spreading the gas over the lawn.

" Wait a minute, I have an idea."

---

The entire block was silent as the police kept the guns aimed high. Travis, Angela, and Ben were gathered around the tv. Angela was pacing, unable to watch it.

A criminal negotiator ducked behind a car said over a megaphone, " We have you surrounded. That was a warning shot, come out now or we will open fire again."

Everything went silent again. After a minute of nothing the negotiator said, " light them up for ten seconds." At the instant everyone was about to shoot, a car slammed through the garage door and kept backing out. Everyone shot at the car, almost immediately blowing out every tire and window. The car kept going, but lost control and rammed through the living room window of the house across the street. The wheels were still spinning, but not going anywhere.

" It seems the suspects have made an ill fated attempt to get away and it ended in shambles. In a moment the police will have them cuffed."

" Grandma." Travis said aloud in a shaky voice. Everyone in the living room went silent and waited for the news caster in the helicopter to start talking. They watched as the police swarmed the car guns aimed high and ready. The opened the doors and found, nothing.

Back at the scene a swat officer shouted, " Decoy!" The decoy only lasted for about five seconds, but it was a five seconds well spent. The three broke a side window and ran out, cutting through back yards. All the helicopters lights were aimed at the car, and had no idea were to shine.

" It seems the suspects have outsmarted police again," said the reporter on the television. Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Angela's phone rang and she answered it right away.

" Mom. Where are you. I saw your escape," Angela said quickly.

" Angela stay calm we're fine. I need you to pick us up, we'll be under the bridge, call me when you get there, and we'll come out."

Angela left Ben with Travis and drove to the bridge. She called her mother and a moment later, Yumi, Aelita and Kat quickly jumped into the car and put their heads down. Angela drove around point zero a few times before parking, making sure they weren't followed. When Aelita stepped through the door Travis wrapped his arms around her, nearly knocking her down. After an emotional, ' you alive!' moment, they all sat down, and began to plan their next move.

The kids were asleep as the adults were in the kitchen talking about recent events. " We know xana is behind this now. The problem isn't staying alive anymore, it's stopping xana," Yumi said to everyone.

" Wait, can we. I mean you guys said xana was a program, a virus. Immortal," Kat asked, still not knowing everything about what was going on.

" Maybe before, but not anymore. Keiko said xana drained Toby of his life. It means he became human in Toby's appearance, and mortal. We can kill him now but trying to kill him is like trying to kill the president. Very impressive security," Aelita said, laying that information on the table.

" True, but why does xana want to start a war. What the hell could he gain from that?" Kat asked, not sure of the motives.

" Anything. He's Toby. With Toby's job and xana's influence, he could easily start a war. And with Carthage, he could easily win."

" No matter what happens, we need to get Lili. The problem is, we don't even know where to start looking," Yumi said to everyone.

" What do we know?"

" She was used as blackmail. Which might led to her being in a place Keiko wouldn't know, or couldn't get in. A lot of security more or less. Monitored twenty four seven. Close to her father because xana doesn't trust people to do his work for him unless he couldn't do it."

" Defence head quarters," Kat said. " I remember Keiko saying he worked there. She's probably in his office."

" Alright we have an idea, but we can't go in guns blazing. Plus, we don't even know if she's there. We need to do some reconnaissance, but we can't even get in the building," said Yumi, " We can't get in unnoticed."

" We can't," Angela said to everyone. " But I know who can."


	10. A true friend

'Why the hell am I doing this. It's suicide. Do anything for a friend, this is where most draw the line. Nooo, not me, of course not. If you have a best friend bracelet you have to do anything, even pretend to apply for a job at the French department of defence to see if your best friend's, mother's, best friend's granddaughter is there. Then again Angela did sound desperate on the phone. I have to help her.

' What am I thinking, she's a criminal. She killed her father, and her fathers wife. And kidnaped her half siblings.. No! Not Angela, never Angela. Angela a killer, please, maybe a slut but not a killer. She's not a slut anymore though, she hasn't even had sex since Xi died fifteen years ago. Xi, what a guy. If I didn't have Odd, I'd want Xi, what a hot ass... ahhhh stay focused, think clear. Can't be thinking how hot your best friends boyfriends ass was. Oh no, said it again. Breathe girl, breathe. In, out, in, out. 'Giggle' double-entendre. Okay not to self, don't eat sugar in the morning.'

Those were the thoughts rushing past Mrs. Maillard as she walked through the doors of the French department of defence. The thirty two year old woman walked into the main lobby that was well polished and decorated. There were armed guards at the doors, tall men with black suits, sunglasses, and ear pieces.

Mrs. Maillard moved across the lobby in her high heels, long black skirt, and white blouse. She was carrying her résumé in both hands. Her red hair was put into a bun and held together with a pencil, because this morning she thought she grabbed her hair sticks. It was only in the car she realized it and mumbled, " I hate Mondays."

Mrs. Maillard stopped at the information desk. The woman at the desk looked up at her and said, " Do you have an appointment?"

" Yes. I'm, Mrs. Maillard, I'm here for the interview with Mr. Willard." The woman typed in her name and pulled up the appointment.

" Okay, forth floor. Here's your visitors pass. Try not to get lost, the place is a little crazy right now. The fugitives and all." Mrs. Maillard nodded and clipped the pass to her blouse pocket and walked toward the elevator. She pressed up and waited a few minutes before boarding and pressing forth floor. It reached the forth floor quickly and she stepped out into a large office floor filled with cubicles. The sound of computers typing and fax machines as deafening and took her a few minutes to get used to it.

After looking for a minute, she asked a man in his cubicle, " Excuse me, but I'm lost."

The man turned around and asked, " It happens, where you heading?"

" Mr. Willard's office for a job interview."

" Go all the way down and turn left, you can't miss it."

" Thank you." The man nodded and Mrs. Maillard moved down the long row of cubicles. Good thing she was pretending to want this job, because she hated this room already. Walking down the hall, she turned the corner and almost collided into a man carrying a box.

" Watch it," the man shot at her, and kept walking. ' jackass.' she mumbled to herself. Walking down the row she reached an office door that said, ' Thomas Willard, CEO.' She knocked on the door and a moment later it opened.

" Mrs. Maillard I presume," she nodded and he held the door open for her. Mrs. Maillard who stepped in. She took a seat next to his desk and crossed her legs, placing the resume on her lap. " How are you this morning?" He asked politely sitting at his desk.

" Very good."

" Let me see your resume, and we can get this underway." Mr. Willard asked her questions about the resume, her work history, and about her. He didn't go too deep into that when she saw the Mrs title, and a wedding ring. The interview took about twenty minutes and Mrs. Maillard left with the words, " We'll call you to confirm or deny."

Walking back to the elevator she up instead of down. She took it to the fiftieth floor and stepped off the elevator. Walking into a smaller and more formal room. Looking around she saw video cameras so walked off casually like she belonged.

Remembering what Angela told her, Toby Miller's office was at the other end of the building. Walking normally, but nervously she made for that side of the building.

She walked by a very official high ranked man who looked at her and said, " I like my coffee black." As he walked by he pinched her butt and kept walking. ' I'm not a fucking secretary!' she shouted in her head. Which then again at that moment she looked like one. Blouse, skirt, neat hair with a pencil showing she wrote a lot and was bored with it, and carrying a bunch of papers. ' what a dick.' she kept walking with no event until she reached an office titled Mr. Toby Miller.

Checking to see if she was being watched she pulled the door open and looked in. It was a large office, with two couches, a large coffee table, a large desk with a computer, a fire place that didn't look like it was for use, a fish tank, mini putting green, plasma wide screen tv, and a little fourteen year old girl laying on one of the couches in a blanket.

' Lili.' she said to herself. She closed the door and when she turned around a man was directly behind her.

" Can I help you?" the man asked.

" Mr. Miller's daughter wanted me to get her another pillow, so.."

" Alright, did you give it to her?" The security guard asked.

" Yeah she's quite comfortable now."

" Really. Are you comfortable?" he asked with a strange grin. ' Is he hitting on me?'

" Um, I guess so. I need to get downstairs, I'm just visiting." The guard looked a little disappointed and let her pass. ' what a dumbass.' Mrs. Maillard boarded the elevator and while it was shutting the man who pinched her butt walked by.

" Where's my coffee?" He asked.

" Up your ass dickhead." The elevator shut and the man shook his head and mumbled, ' feisty.'

Mrs. Maillard dropped her guest pass at the information desk and jogged out of the building and into her car. Pulling the pencil out of her hair she let it drop down, she then smoothed it out. Taking a deep breath she took her cell phone out of her purse and went to her listed numbers. She hit call and it began to ring.

" She's here Angela."

" Thanks Carla, you're a true friend."


	11. A little game of hide and seek

Yumi and Aelita were going over the plan to rescue Lili. After briefing they grabbed the necessary equipment. Aelita would be away from the building, using the schematics of the building to guide her. When they were leaving point zero Yumi lifted up a large bag and dropped it immediately. Leaning down she rubbed her back that she had just thrown out.

" Son of a bitch." she said to herself.

" Maybe I should do this," Kat said picking up the bag.

" No. Trust me, I know what I'm doing better that you do. Your to young anyway."

" Well your too old," Kat said, pointing out the obvious.

" Look. If something goes wrong on this mission, you'll need to take care of them. And I'm fine." Yumi placed her hands on her back and leaned back hard and fast. She held it for a few seconds before feeling and hearing a loud crack.

" Gross," Kat said, not being able to stand cracking her own neck.

" It's fun being Japanese. I can dislocate several joints as well, wanna see that?"

" Rather not." Yumi giggled, picked up the bag, and threw it into the back of the car.

---

At night fall, Yumi and Aelita were outside of the French department of defence. Yumi was wearing full tactical black clothing, complete with night vision goggles, and heat vison. She had a microphone planted on her and an ear piece directly connected to Aelita. At her hip was a silenced gun, at her other hip was a gun that could disable cameras temporarily.

Yumi got out of the car and stealthily made for the fence. Scaling it quickly and quietly she was soon outside of the air ducts. " Which one?"

" Third from the right," Aelita answered, who was driving away from the area, so not to strike suspicion. Aelita parked her car a block away and watched her progress. Yumi had a GPS locator on her and Aelita could see her exact location in the building. Yumi slid the screen to the ducts up and crawled into the vent.

" Moved down till you reach an intersection, take the right, and you'll be at the elevator shaft." Yumi crawled in her hands and knees till she reached the intersection as Aelita described. Taking the right, a few moments later Yumi reached a screen.

Pulling out a screw driver she unscrewed the screws and carefully pushed it off. Pulling in the vent she leaned it against the wall and looked down. She was three floor above the bottom of the basement, and she hated heights.

" Jump onto the elevator when it comes down," Aelita said to Yumi.

" No I'll just jump now. No shit Aelita."

" Just doing my job." Yumi waited for ten minutes before the elevator passed and she carefully jumped onto it without making a sound. " Now I'll hack into the system and make the elevator go up."

" You can do that?" Yumi asked curiously.

" Going up." The elevator began to go up and Yumi sat and enjoyed the fifty floor ride. When it stopped Yumi looked around for what to do next. " Vent above you." Yumi looked up and crawled into the vent that didn't have a screen.

" Shit." Yumi was looking into the vent that had red lasers running through it. " Um Aelita, there are motion sensor beams in here."

" I expected that. Hold on for a sec." Aelita began to type oh her lab top and began to hack into the buildings security system.

---

In the security room an alert popped up on the screen. A man was leaning back reading a book, when the alert began to flash. Pulling his book down he put his feet on the ground and wheeled his chair closer to the screen.

" What the hell?" The man began to type and a second later he called someone.

A minute later his boss came in and asked, " What's going on?"

" We have a hacker."

" We have a hacker everyday, no one gets pass the firewall." Another alert popped up confirming someone had breached the firewall.

" Move." The man got out of his seat as the chief of security took control. The man typed fast and a moment later he found what the hacker was trying to do. " Sound the alert, we have a pro here. Whoever it is, is trying to shut off the motion sensors on the fiftieth. Which means, someone's on the fiftieth. Not to mention the bastard has the elevators, tell them to take the stairs."

" Can you trace it?" The lower ranked security officer asked.

" It is one of my job requirements."

---

Yumi watched as the sensors disappeared. Moving quickly she made for the other end of the fiftieth floor and soon was unscrewing the screen to the vent of Toby Miller's office. Lili looked up when she heard noise and saw that it was coming from the vent. Suddenly the vent fell from the wall and a figure dressed in all black dropped down. Lili watched in fear as the figure stood up. She ducked behind the couch.

Yumi took off her mask and said, " Lili?" Lili knew the voice and pocked her head up.

" Grandma," Lili said as she jumped over the couch and hugged her grandmother. " Thank god, I couldn't stand this place anymore."

" How long have you been here for?"

" Three weeks. Are you here to get me out?" Yumi nodded and Lili hugged her again.

" Did he hurt you?" Lili shook her head, " Did he touch you?"

" He's a psychopath, not a pervert. Can we just go?" Suddenly every alarm in the building turned on.

" Aelita?" Yumi asked, waiting for a response.

" Oh no, they traced me. I need to get out before..." the Yumi heard a gun shot from Aelita's side of the line.

After a long silence a familiar voice said, " Tisk, tisk, tisk. Dear Yumi who'd thought you'd die last. By the way, get out of my office." It was Toby. Xana. Then Yumi remembered about the GPS and reached into her shirt and pulled it off. She smashed it and xana lost his location of her.

" We need to get out now Lili." Yumi said. Yumi helped Lili into the vent and a second later security broke into the room.

" Go!" Yumi said taking the gun from her waist hit before getting hit in the chest and falling to the ground. Three security officers walked into the room and went to the vent. One crawled in and one left the room. The last one looked at Yumi, then turned around and began to walk to the door.

" Hostile down. I need a body bag in here," The guard said into his radio. He felt a solid blow to the back of his head as he toppled to the ground unconscious.

" Yeah, but not for me," Said Yumi. " I'm in this get up and still they don't consider bulletproof vest."

Lili crawled through the vent as fast as she could. She looked back while crawling, before suddenly feel forward, with the upper half of her body hanging off the edge. Pulling herself back up she looked down and turned around again, and heard someone coming. She was thinking it'd be Yumi, but it was a security guard.

" There you are." the guard said. Looking down, Lili saw the elevator was docked, so jumped down and landed on the roof. When she landed Lili's momentum kept her moving forward and off the edge. Before she fell she grabbed the edge and hung on. Trying to pull herself up she heard someone land on the elevator. She slipped and fell, but a hand grabbed her wrist.

The security guard pulled her up and said, " That was close wasn't you little brat." He dropped her on the elevator, and Lili punched him in the stomach, and the man laughed. He grabbed her head as she tried to swing, but couldn't hit him.

Letting her go Lili groaned as the man leaned forward and said, " I'll tell you what, free shot. Come on." The man closed his eyes and waited for Lili to hit him. A boot hit the man in the face as he fell back, out cold. The boot was attached to Yumi's foot.

" You okay?" Yumi asked Lili who answered with a nod. Looking around, Yumi saw another vent and said, " Worth a try." Yumi jumped across the gab and grabbed the edge of the vent, and pulled herself in.

" Come on." Lili stepped to the ledge, and looked down. She shook her head. The elevator hatch opened and a hand grabbed Lili's ankle. Yumi pulled out her gun and shot the man in the head, and fell back into the elevator. Taking a deep breath, Lili leaped across the edge and Yumi grabbed her, and pulled her in.

They took that vent for about a minute before it opened into a twenty floor drop. " I'll go first, follow me," Yumi said.

" Your not serious are you?" Lili asked, not liking heights much either.

" I'm always serious. Hold your back against it firm, and kinda let yourself slid down. If you fall, I got you okay." Lili looked down again still looking uncertain. " Trust me." Yumi said, looking into her eyes. Lili nodded and Yumi climbed into the shaft.

Yumi placed her back against the wall, and supported weight with her feet. Moving down a few feet, Lili did the same. The two moved about twenty feet, before Lili had her legs to high and got her shirt caught on a screw. Her back slipped and she fell, but her shirt getting caught saved her.

" You okay?" To answer her question Lili's shirt didn't rip, her body slipped out of it. She hit Yumi full force and she lost her balance and fell. They fell twenty feet before Yumi managed to right herself, and catch Lili.

" Sorry," Lili said, her heart pounding out of her chest.

" It's okay, we just need to keep going. Are you cold?" she sarcastically when she noticed her shirt was gone.

" I want my shirt back," Lili said, because it was her favorite shirt.

" Look up, we don't have time to get it. It might be harder because your back will stick instead of slide, so stay closer to me."

It took about a half hour before they were low enough to drop ten feet to the bottom. Yumi Carefully dropped and looked up a Lili. " I gotcha, come on." Lili nodded and dropped before noticing her bra was caught on a screw, and she let go, and fell, felt a tight squeeze at her chest, then heard her bra snap. Yumi caught her and she quickly put her back to her, covering her breasts with her arms. Yumi saw why, looking up and seeing her bra hanging above.

" Oh my god. What else can go wrong?" Lili asked herself aloud.

" You stuff your bra?" Yumi asked, seeing some tissue paper in the cups.

" Yes I know, haha very funny. Let's all pick on Lili because she's flat."

"Your part Japanese. Let's just face it, we're naturally small."

" Well I don't want to be. Do you have an extra shirt?" she asked. Yumi took off the black jacket and took off the long sleeved shirt underneath and handed it to Lili. Yumi just looked at her as Lili turned around to see if she was looking.

" Don't look!" Lili shouted her.

" Can't help it, your so pretty." Placing the shirt over her body she gave Yumi a death glare, as Yumi shook her head, and turned the other way.

" What are you, a lesbian?" Lili asked her annoyed.

" I had your mother, so of course not." Lili put the shirt on and noticed it was several sizes to big.

Yumi turned around and said, " You look like your mother trying on my clothes when she was seven." Lili rolled her eyes and looked around the bottom of the shaft. It had two paths, both not showing any sign of being better than the other.

" Now where?" Lili asked.

" We'll take the this one, come on."

For another hour they took the vents, and eventually ended up...nowhere. It was a dead end. Yumi rested her back against the vent and looked at her granddaughter. Lili was exhausted, sweat was dripping from her hair and chin.

" Let's go back." Then they heard a gunshot from beneath them that almost hit Lili. Lili jumped back as more hole were blown into the vent. Yumi noticed the shots weren't being aimed toward them, but around them. A second later the vent gave way and Lili and Yumi fell to the floor.

Five guns were on them as they lay there waiting. The men parted to let one pass. They were both looking up at Lili's father, Toby Miller, or as everyone else knows him as, Xana.

Xana smiled and said, " It was a fun game, but I'm afraid I've never lost at hide and seek." Looking at one of the men he said, " Incapacitate them, and put them with the pink haired one."

" Right away sir." The agent took out a bottle and a clothe and put the contents of the bottle on the cloth. He tried to place it on Lili's mouth but Yumi didn't let him. A kick in the ribs made Yumi let his hand go and the agent gassed Lili. Lili closed her eyes and lay flat against the ground. He placed his hand over Yumi's mouth and said, " Sweet dreams." Yumi's head hit the ground and she was out.


	12. Ten seconds

Yumi opened her eyes, and tried to grab her head because of her headache she currently had. When she tried to move her arms, they didn't move. Turning her head she saw her wrist were bound tightly with chains, and handcuffs. Looking back further, she saw she was tied back to back with another person. She couldn't see the face but she saw her hair.

" Aelita?" she asked.

" No Yumi it's me," said Angela, " They killed my mom already."

" Why aren't you at the safe house?" She asked Angela, trying to think of any reason she was here. " Where's Kat and the kids?"

" They found the safe house. We scattered to confuse them, and unfortunately the bad guys ran in my direction. Took a shot to the leg and went down, and here I am."

" How did they find it?" Yumi asked, not thinking of how that was possible.

" Yumi they're the government, they can do anything. You wouldn't happen to have any aspirin?" She asked, having a large headache as well. Yumi shook her head and looked around the room.

It was small inclosed room that the only furniture in it was the two chairs the girls were sitting in. The room had no windows, and the only light was a ceiling fan that was spinning above them. Ten feet away from them was the only door in or out that was currently closed.

They sat in the room for twenty minutes before three men walked in. One of the men walked over to them, the other two stood by the door. When he stepped into the light, they were looking at xana.

Toby Miller smiled and said, " It's been fun, but's this game is almost to an end. I have four more to go. Can either of you tell me where Travis, Katerina, or the twins would be?" Yumi and Angela didn't even look like they were listening. " Don't be shy."

" We don't know." Xana hit Angela first then asked again and received the same answer, then hit Yumi. " Your wasting your time looking for the twins. One of them is already dead."

" Really, which one? Please tell me it's Benjamin, I rather dislike that little smart ass."

" Jean. She was shot when the agents fired at my car when I picked them up. She died a few hours later," Yumi answered.

" Not the nice cute one with good table manners. Oh well she was going to die anyway. Where's her sibling and your grandson?"

" Where's my granddaughter?" Yumi asked, concerned about Lili.

Xana hit her hit Yumi with the butt of a gun and said calmly, " I'm asking the questions, but out of sympathy, she's just fine. She's my daughter, like I'd kill her."

" Like you care if anyone lives or dies."

" Yumi, I'm human, flesh and blood. I have emotions now, and I don't like it when people hurt my feelings."

" I don't like it when people hurt my friends."

" Haha, Touche. But back to business where are they?"

" We told you, we don't know," Angela answered looking up at him, " We split up hoping to confuse them and didn't tell each other where so if interrogated we had no answer." Xana pulled the trigger and bullet hit Angela's foot and she shouted in pain.

" Well then, where do you think they are. You have ten seconds before I shoot again."

" We don't know."

" Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, times up," He fired again and hit Angela's left knee cap. She screamed in pain so loud, she lost her voice. Tears of pain were pouring down her face, as blood drenched her pants.

" We don't know!" Angela shouted at him. " It's the point of the separation."

" Give me her cell, I have a better idea, I'll ask them myself." One of the guards handed xana Angela's cell. Xana flipped it open and began to go through her listed numbers. He found Travis' and hit call. It rang a few times before he answered.

" Mom, are you okay?" Travis asked, having no contact for hours.

" Listen and listen well Travis. This is Toby Miller, do you know what they call me?"

Travis nearly dropped his phone. It took him a few seconds to get over his sudden fear but said, " Xana."

" Good. Now before you ask, your whore of a mother is still alive, but for how long is up to you. If you make a rescue attempt, I'll kill her. If any of you make an attempt, I'll kill her. And if you don't tell me what I want to know.. I think you understand."

" What do you want?"

" I want you Katerina and which ever twin is still alive, to tell me where you are. If you don't cooperate, I'll kill your mother, and your grandmother, yes I have both of them."

" Travis don't!" Angela shouted, but xana struck her in the face, and turned on speaker phone so Travis could hear her whimpering. Xana hit her again and Travis was growing angry when he heard his mother grunt in pain.

" STOP IT!" Travis shouted.

" Tell me where you are Travis."

" Don't tell him!" Angela shouted. Xana hit her with the butt of his gun again and Travis heard her scream. " Don't tell him!"

" Ten seconds Travis," Xana said, then hit Angela in the knee cap he shot. Angela shouted in pain again.

" Don't tell him!"

" Ten."

" Stop it!" Travis shouted again, not wanting to hear this but unable to hang up.

" Nine." He hit her in the same spot and she kept shouting. " Eight."

" Don't tell him!" Angela screamed again.

" Mom!"

" Seven, times running out boy, six." He stomped on her foot and she shouted again. " Five."

" Stop it!"

" Tell me where you are then."

"Don't!" Xana hit her in the head with the butt of the gun, and she shouted again.

" Four...Three...two.."

" TRAVIS DON"T TELL HIM!"

" One." Xana placed the gun to Angela's head and clicked it. Travis heard the gun click and cracked.

" Fine."

" Travis no!" Angela shouted desperately.

" We're in the lab," he said with a loud sob.

" Thank you foolish child," xana said with a smile and pulled the trigger.


	13. Back from the dead

Travis dropped his phone when he heard the gunshot. The phone broke when it hit the ground, the battery flying off and into the ruins of the lab. He was sitting alone in the lab, Kat and Ben were in the scanner room. Tears began to slowly run out of his eyes as his back hit the wall, and he slid all the way down.

" Mom," he said to himself. " No. You son of a bitch!" he shouted to no one. He punched the ground hard, breaking a finger. He didn't care about how much his hand hurt, because right now, his heart hurt more. Tear drops splashed between his legs as he tried to control his anger. He couldn't. He screamed to let off some steam, but it didn't help much.

Travis began to grit his teeth, making a loud angry hiss with every breath. His entire life he was a nonviolent person, the one who stopped the fight. He hated fighting, he hated doing the wrong thing. But when he heard the gunshot, he cracked. Every emotion of anger he felt in his life he had suppressed came back.

Travis stood up and whipped his eyes. He wasn't crying anymore. At that moment he knew what he wanted and had to do, he wanted revenge. He wanted that bastard to suffer, to die slow and painfully. But first he had to leave, and fast.

Travis fought his way through the debris of the lab and slid down the hatch leading to the scanner room. Hitting the ground below he ran into the room where Kat and Ben where talking about their favorite moments growing up. Kat wasn't doing it just to help Ben through, she was helping herself as well. They were the only family they had left, and what was left of Travis' was hanging by a thread.

Travis looked at them and said, " They know we're here, we need to leave now." Ben looked to his sister who stood up.

" How do you know?" Travis explained quickly and they left as fast as they could, taking the equipment with them. Travis was carrying a bag of guns, Kat was carrying a laptop, and Ben was trying to keep up. They took the alternate route out, because they couldn't climb with the bags. When the implosion bombs had blown eighteen years ago, they opened a entrance to the sewers, that they quickly took to leave. They followed the stream flow of the sewer and were soon climbing up a manhole ladder.

Kat went first and climbed out in an ally and helped Travis and her brother to the surface. Then they all froze when they heard a horrible noise.

The sound was a gun loading. They looked around for its source and looked up at the roof of the buildings around them. They were completely surrounded with no option of retreat. Travis, Kat, and Ben placed their hands in the air. Two men approached them, with a silenced pistol aimed at them. The both took one of the bags and kept the guns aimed high.

" Tell Miller we have them." One took out a cell phone and pressed redial because the number he wanted he recently used it.

" Do you have them?" Toby Miller asked over the line.

" We got them. They came out right where you said they would. Orders?" The man asked.

" Kill them." The line was disconnected. The man aimed the pistol and Kat.

" Nothing against you, but just my job." Kat closed her eyes and looked away, and jumped when she heard the shot. After she noticed she was still alive she looked at the man who had the gun still aimed high, but hadn't pulled the trigger. The man fell over as more gunshots fired. The second man on the ground was hit. A man on the roof was firing at the agents not them.

He ducked down when someone else from the roof fired back at him. Travis thought quickly and picked up one of the pistols, aimed and fired. The bullet hit the ledge next to the agent, who was hit in the face by the brick dust caused by the shot. The man on the roof had his shot and took it.

The man used the fire escape to climb down and then was soon standing next to them. He was wearing the full black tactical clothing with a mask covering his face. " Close one huh?" The man asked with a smile, though no one saw it.

" Thanks, whoever you are. What happen suddenly grow a conscience?" Kat asked.

" Kitty Kat, I've always had a conscience." The man said back to Kat. Kat's eyes grew big with shock. Only one person in her life had ever called her Kitty Kat. And he was dead. The man took off his mask to reveal he was very much alive. Standing next to them, was Charlie Robbia.


	14. I've got good news and bad news

" Charlie?" Kat asked looking at him. Charlie nodded with a smile. " You were dead, you committed suicide."

" Who told you that, the police, the government? Look the government targeted me first. When they came for me I managed to escape but I couldn't keep running and hiding. I knew they would eventually find me. They kept a close watch on phone lines so I couldn't call for help, so I finally found a solution to get them off my ass."

" You faked your own death," Kat said, putting his story together. " How did you do it?"

Charlie told them how he eluded the government for the last two months. It ended when he drove his car off a bridge. The government shot into the water at his car, till it exploded. Unknown to them, he had a oxygen tank in the car with him and swam to safety. He couldn't immediately come out of hiding, because they still suspected him alive, but when they found nothing they called of his search and went after the others.

" You're a genius." Kat said after hearing his story.

" Thanks. Now what's going on, who's dead and still alive?"

" My parents and Jean are dead," Kat began.

" Jean's dead?" he asked, not expected a child to be killed. Kat nodded.

" Ulrich is dead, Keiko is dead, Angela is dead."

" Not Angela," he said shaky. His sister didn't deserve anything.

" I'm afraid so. Your mother is dead, and Yumi is more or less dead." Charlie put his head down and turned away from everyone.

"Who's responsible. I only fragments of this," he said, only over hearing a few things before he escaped captivity.

" It's a man named Toby Miller. But our parents call him xana."

" Who's still alive?" Charlie asked, hoping for some good news.

" We're pretty much it. Yumi and Aelita went a mission to get Lili, Yumi's granddaughter."

" Wait Toby Miller," he asked, remembering why that name sounded familiar, " Isn't that Keiko's husband?" Kat nodded and Charlie began to think what they had to do. " Where's Lili then?"

" Department of defence. But we can't get in."

" No, but I can. I've been undercover for a while, so I should blend right in. If Yumi was still alive, where would she be?"

" Don't know."

" Then I'll get them. You and the twirps hide somewhere, they'll find this pretty soon and know that your still alive." Kat nodded and for a while they just looked at each other.

Kat always thought Charlie was cool, not to mention cute, but was it wrong to like him. Technically they weren't related, but they did shared a half sister. Either way now was not the time for these feelings. They separated and Charlie put his mask back on and made for the department of defence, and possibly to his death, but he shook off that fear and took the car the government used to get there.

---

Driving to the gates of the department of defence Charlie was waved passed without even a second glance and parked the car in the parking lot and walked into the building. Charlie knew he had to look casual as he walked through the building. Looking in the main lobby, he found a door labeled, ' security,' looked both ways and walked in.

He had to walk down a hallway before he opened another door and stepped into a room. It was a large room with several security terminals. The room was dimly lit, and had a dozen monitoring screens for the security cameras throughout the building. Only one man was in the room, who was seated watching about five screens. Charlie walked over to him calmly and looked over his shoulder.

" Long shift?" he asked casually.

" Oh yeah. I'm on hour twelve. I have to watch the woman on the third floor." he said pointing at a screen. " I'm surprised they haven't killed her yet. But Miller says she could still be useful."

Charlie leaned in and looked at the screen. Yumi was sitting in a room lit by a single light dangling above her. She was chained up, and seemed to be injured. Looking closer he saw there was blood on the ground and an empty chair next to her's that was also bloody. At both sides of the door were guards.

" Where's that room, I'll be guarding it later and need to know where exactly it is, this building structure is so goofy," Charlie said to the man.

" Third floor, when you step off the elevator turn left, then right, follow the numbers and probably the screams, they might start torturing her again."

" What about Miller's daughter I heard she was almost kidnaped."

" Yeah that was exciting. Took us hours to find them in the vents. But we got her back and she's back on the fiftieth floor with her father."

" Thanks." Charlie stood behind the man and pulled out his gun. He hit the man in the back of the head with the butt and he fell off the chair and onto the floor. Dragging him away from the monitors he went into the locker room and shoved him into a locker. Walking out of the security room he took the elevator to the third floor. Turning left he walked down the hallway casually, not like he owned it but not like he didn't belong.

Charlie was standing in front of the door a moment later. Taking a deep breath he pulled out a silencer and screwed it onto the end of his gun.

" Here we go." He kicked the door open that swung hard and smashed into one of the guards knocking him against he wall. Charlie rolled into the room as the other guard pulled out his gun, but Charlie fired and hit the man square between the eyes. The door swung back slowly, showing the other guard was out cold. Charlie closed the door and ran over to Yumi, beginning to undo her chains.

" Who are you?" Yumi asked, looking over at him. Charlie pulled his mask up and Yumi looked at him like he was a ghost. " Charlie, you're dead."

" I don't have time to explain. We need to get Lili and get out of here. Before you ask, Kat and the kids are fine." He finished the chains and said, " Can you walk?"

" If my legs are still attached." Yumi stood up and fell back onto the chair. " Okay maybe not."

" We need to get to the elevator, You can hide on top of it till we find our way out."

" I know a way out, and we'll need the elevator. Get me there, you get Lili."

Charlie looked both ways outside of the door and began to practically drag Yumi out of the room. Before rounding the corner he looked around it and saw a man walking toward them. Waiting for him to walk by, Charlie hit him with his gun and he fell to the floor. Placing that man in the janitor's closet he continued to drag Yumi to the elevator. The door opened and a woman stepped off and looked at Charlie holding Yumi.

" Moving the suspect, Miller wants her in a more secure area."

" That's the woman who tried to kidnap his daughter?" She asked, thinking she looked a little old for that.

" Yeah, she's so old to, surprise she didn't broke a bone." Yumi let out a silent grunt and Charlie avoided laughing. " I need the elevator."

" Oh right away." The woman stepped off and Charlie walked in and pressed close. He pressed up and the elevator began to ascend to the higher floors. Placing tape over the camera, he hit stop and opened the hatch to elevators roof. Pushing Yumi up, she lay down on top of it and Charlie pressed the button and the elevator went back to going up. It stopped at a few floors but about five minutes later Charlie stepped onto the fiftieth floor.

Walking off he looked around the floor. " Are you the security for Lili Miller?" Charlie turned around and was looking at a man. He was a security guard that looked tired and irritated from long hours.

Improvising Charlie nodded and the guard said, " Follow me." The guard turned around and began to walk, Charlie shrugged and followed. The guard lead to the other side of the floor and stopped at a door. Another guard turned around and walked past Charlie, apparently his shift was over.

" You watch her from inside." Charlie opened the door and walked in.

Looking around the office, Charlie saw Lili sitting on a couch looking extremely angry. She was so close to escape and it had all blown up in her face. Lili was still wearing the shirt that was several sizes to big, but had put a bra back on that she of course stuffed. Though not like any boys were around to notice how desperate she was.

Looking around more, he saw Toby Miller on his computer with a smile on his face. He looked up and said, " Hello Charlie, back from the dead are we?" Charlie was still wearing his mask, but somehow he knew.

Charlie pulled his gun up and aimed it at him. Toby laughed and said, " It will kill me, but you're too late, I've just started Carthage. In a few minutes I'll use it's programing to hack into every government server worldwide and begin... altering information."

" How did you know it was me?" he asked, gun still high.

" Two reasons, you just told me," Charlie felt like an idiot, " And two, my security guards don't were that outfit, plus your so much like your father. I could smell your stench from a mile away. Shoot me if you want, but the game is already over. Carthage will gain control and what I like to call, world war three will begin. For the past year, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have signed a war treaty. With Carthage, we'll take Europe in a month, then take everything else. When the war is done, I'll be the one on top, the world will be mine."

" Not if I kill you now," Charlie said, his fingering curling around the trigger.

" Don't shoot just yet. I have more talking to do. Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Do you even know what is really going on. Well of course not all you want is revenge from me killed your parents," Xana said reaching for a gun from under his desk.

" Foolish, foolish. Do you even know why they died. It has much more to than being government targets, it was mainly for my own entertainment." Charlie fired as xana ducked down and grabbed his gun and dove from the side of his desk and shot Charlie in the leg. Charlie crawled behind the couch, clutching his right upper thigh.

Xana ducked behind his desk and waited for Charlie to make the first move. Both guns were silenced so the shots weren't attracting attention.

" Come now Charlie, give up this game , I swear I'll end it quick." To answer Charlie pulled up from behind the couch and shot at the desk, hitting his computer, his lamp, and everything breakable. Xana popped up and fired back Charlie ducking down quickly to avoid being hit again. His shots hit the mirror, the tv, and the couch. Charlie felt the wind from the bullet fly past his head.

Charlie put his back to the couch and looked at the mirror and saw the desk in the shattered reflection. Charlie watch the mirror carefully, waiting.

" Charlie. Do you miss your mother. What about your father." Charlie didn't listen, he watched the mirror. " They're calling you Charlie. You'll be one happy family again soon." He kept watching the mirror. Then he saw what he was waiting for, rolled around the couch and shot xana in the chest who fell back and hit the wall. Charlie shot him four more times as xana collapsed.

Charlie pulled himself up using the couch as a crutch and looked at Lili was ducked behind the other one. " We need to go Lili." Lili nodded and helped him to the door. When they were out the door, xana opened his eyes.

Charlie opened and looked out and saw the a guard walking toward him. He saw Charlie was shot and ran over to him. " Someone shot Miller and ran back through shaft." The guard past him and Charlie struck him in the back of the head and him and Lili pressed on.

They got the elevator and Charlie pressed the button with his back to the door. The doors began to shut before it felt like time had froze. He heard a loud noise, a moment later a pinch on his upper back. Charlie couldn't move, his hands were twitching. Managing to move he turned around was looking at xana, his gun aimed up, smoke still spilling from it. Reaching over his shoulder, he felt his back, and felt moisture. Pulling his hand back around, he saw it was blood, his blood. Reality clicked back and Charlie fell back into the elevator as the doors closed and began to descend.

Lili crouched kneeled next to Charlie who was laughing. " Haha, fucker had a vest. So stupid for not thinking that."

" Don't you?"

" Must be armor piercing. Wow, that doesn't feel good," he groaned loud. " Look kid, I'm screwed, that hit something vital. Ah, your grandma's on the roof, climb up and follower her instructions."

" What about you. I can't leave you here. They'll kill you."

" Lili, I'm as good as dead right now. When it stops at the first floor hit emergency stop and climb up," Charlie said reaching into his pocket, and handed her his cell phone.

" When you get out of the building call Kat, you can't carry Yumi and she needs carrying." Lili took the phone and nodded, a small tear hitting the ground. She barely knew Charlie, but he had just saved her and he deserved to be wept for.

" Don't cry. Since my dad died, death to me wasn't a big deal. It happens to all of us, I want to see a smile before I die, come on." Lili managed a fake smile. " Faker." Lili giggled through grief and Charlie closed his eyes, and died.

Lili did as instructed and her and her grandmother took the vent Yumi used to get in, and exited the building. Kat showed up to help, leaving Ben with Travis. Using a car Kat regrettably stole they drove away from the compound leaving Charlie's corpse in the elevator. They drove to the place they were now hiding, the hermitage, and hid the car in the woods.

Yumi's wounds were treated, as everyone tried to figure out what they still had to do. Lili told Yumi what she overheard her father was doing. Yumi lowered her head when she found out that Carthage was activated.

A year later the war started.


	15. The cards are down

**Yes it is extremely short, I'm writing this chapter short, so I can tell the story better the next chapter.**

A year after xana or Toby Miller activated Carthage, what was called later, world war three began. France, Germany, Italy, and Spain formed an army called, the CEA, Central European Army. The war was said to have started the moment Carthage was turned on, and ended the moment Carthage turned on.

Toby Miller and the CEA knew everything. Making a few modifications to Carthage's programming, not only could they disrupt communications, they could alter them. Change launch codes, find bases, they knew what cards their enemies were going to play, and took every advantage.

It started when the CEA invaded half of Europe in a month. The remaining countries of United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Ukraine, and Finland declared war on the CEA. With their numbers they thought they had a good hand, but what is the point of a good hand if who your playing cards with, knows the hand.

Bitter fighting erupted in Europe, millions died the first year of the war. America stayed out physically, but was sending the allies supplies, and cut of supplies to the CEA countries. Carthage activated on the U.S. and a trade ship was destroyed before the shipments arrived. After the first American trade ship was sunk, U.S. declared war.

The use of a bomb was threatened almost everyday, but it was never played. They all had the weapon, but who would drop it first was the problem. They had to know where to drop, when to drop it, and how. Those things were hard to predict. Unless you had Carthage. With Carthage they discovered America was going to drop a bomb in central France. Using Carthage, they changed a few things and moment later, the American west coast was hit with their own weapon. It was only now that the allies know they had an information crisis, and needed to do something about it, nothing could be done.

The CEA dropped three more, this time their own. They hit London England, Amsterdam, and the Norwegian capital of Osio. After four years of fighting, killing, bloodshed, explosions and gun shots, it was over. The allies surrendered. Instead of spreading to the rest of the world, the CEA in the treaty signing they controlled took over four fifths of Europe and demanded a certain amount of trade out of the U.S. The super power country called the CEA, was created, and governed by Toby Miller. Xana had what he wanted. He had won. What he didn't count on, was someone living.


	16. Welcome to the future

**Fifteen years after chapter 13.**

The interrogation was going over bad for the officer. The captive wouldn't talk, not even grunt when they hit him. Large bruises covered his face and the rest of his body from the beatings. They had punched him, kicked him, wiped him, cut him, and electrocuted him for information, and all they got was a grin like he was enjoying it.

This subject of interrogation had been captive for two weeks, and yet even after hours of torture, he was still laughing. Most of the men under the CEA payroll, just thought they should shoot him, but they knew they needed him to talk. They couldn't get the information from anyone else. To help things out at the end of the day, they dumped salt water on his wounds.

" What are the lyoko access codes?" The interrogator asked.

" You're really stubborn aren't you," the man asked back, receiving a hit to the face from a man in a CEA soldier's uniform. The interrogator held up his hand to stop the beating. " Thanks, this guy punches like your mom."

" I doubt that. Look it's been two weeks. Two very long weeks. What are the codes? We could do this forever."

" We can. I have all the time in the world. Who'll crack first is the problem. Either way my people will help me."

" Your little resistance is nothing more than just a bunch of pissed off criminals. They don't give a rats ass what happens to you. No one is coming to save you."

" Oh I beg to differ."

" Really, why's that?"

" Because they're here. Look out the window." The interrogator looked out the window and as if on cue the alarm to the building went off. He heard gun shots and saw five trucks with mounted guns firing at the building. The soldier looked over as the man cuffed to the chair, dislocated his thumb and slipped out of them.

With on quick blow he struck the soldier in the back of the head and he fell to the ground. The interrogator turned around as the man stabbed him in the throat with a pen as he hit the ground making disgusting gargling noises, then stopped.

Pushing his knuckles back into place his clenched his fist to get normal feeling back. Taking the soldiers rifle he put the shoulder strap on and took his pistol, shooting him in the head so he wouldn't get back up. He kicked him a few times, getting his frustration out on the one who gave him it. Checking the ammo cartridge for the pistol, he clicked it back in and cocked it back.

The door to the room opened and the man spun around quickly, aiming his gun at the door. At the door was a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing full complete tactical black clothing and had a rifle aimed at the other man. They both lowered their guns and smiled.

" What kept you?" The one who was being interrogated asked.

" We had to find you first. How'd you manage," he asked, seeing he didn't look to good but was still walking.

" Didn't speak one word to them. How many are out there?" He asked looking out the window.

" Us, about fifty, them, still counting. But we can manage with the knew equipment clothing Lili made. Here put it on." He through the man a long sleeved black shirt. The shirt was light and soft, and very smooth to the touch. " Bullet proof armor, the entire torso. Comfy actually." The man placed his rifle on the ground and put the shirt on.

" So Ben, how we getting out?"

" Follow me."

Ben used a mirror to look into the hallway and saw a man around the corner. Pulling it back in, he waited a few seconds and kicked the door back and hit the man, knocking him out. Ben ran into he hall and shot the man and him and his friend ran down the hall. Turning left they met resistance who open fired. Ben pushed open a door on the left, his friend to the right. They waited for the firing to stop, before Ben through a flash bomb down th hall. The bomb ignited and his friends turned into the hallway, and opened fired killing the blind resistance.

They continued till they reached a large open room. In the center was a wide stairwell, with ledges that went around the entire room. The moment they stepped in, they were under fire. They ducked down as the bullets hit the wall where their heads were.

" Now what?" The man asked Ben.

" Don't know, sticky situation. Your favorite right?"

" Oh yeah. Got a spider on you?" Ben pulled a grenade shaped object off his vest and handed it to the man who pulled the pin. He placed it on the floor as Ben handed him a controller with a small screen. The man used a joystick as the grenade didn't explode, but opened with three pairs of legs. The man moved the six legged robot around a bit, then began to move it down across the ledge.

The spider was feeding visual footage of where it was going to the mans screen, who was controlling its every action. He moved the spider across the ledge and began to move it down the stairs. Ben had began to move his own spider and was moving it toward the soldiers shooting at them from the ledge across from them. When they both stopped their spiders, they were located under the ledge, and at the feet of the ground soldiers.

They looked at each other and the man said, " Three...two...one." They both pressed a red button on the controller and the spiders exploded, collapsing the ledge and blowing the soldiers away. " I love your sisters little gadgets."

They stood up and ran down to the stairs and turned through a door leading into a car garage. " Where are the guards?" The man asked while they jumped into a jeep with a machine strapped to the back.

" How do you think I got in." Ben started the hot-wired the car and put into reverse. Driving backwards, he aligned the jeep with the door, switched to drive, and hit the gas. They were picking up speed to smash through the door. When they hit the door at seventy, they broke it down and drove into the fray.

The man went into the back and mounted the gun, and began to fire at the soldiers around the building. The sudden attack surprised them as the jeep drove across the battle field. A mortar hit the ground next to the jeep, as Ben swerved around the blast. The cars frame was being bombarded with gunfire, as the man fired back. They crossed the line as the attacking trucks started up and followed.

" They're going to follow us," the man said to Ben turning around to look at the building.

" Here, press this button." Ben said, handing the man a another controller with a large red button, the only button and the panel. The man shrugged and pressed the button, a moment later the military compound exploded, and the man turned around again and watched the fire works.

" It must be my birthday," the man with a laugh.

---

They drove the jeep for several hours before they began to slow down. They entered a empty city, with abandoned buildings, and destroyed buildings. It was depressing to see a city like this. They pulled the battle scared jeep into an underground garage, a man with a rifle saluting to them as they drove by.

They parked the car and the other five trucks pulled into the garage as well. The men and women jumped out of the car and surrounded the jeep in applause.

" I've missed everyone as well. They tortured me for two weeks, and got nothing more a smile and a laugh. Thank you all for your help. At ease." The people erupted in applause as the man jumped out of the jeep and began to walk through the crowd, shaking hands, and receiving kisses on the cheek along the way.

The crowd dispersed and Ben and the man entered an elevator. The doors close and Ben leaned in as a machine scanned his retina, and began to move down. The elevator ride was short and a minute later the doors opened and the two walked out. They had stepped into a large circular room, with a large dome in the center of it. Next to the dome was a woman on a computer who turned around and smiled at them. She stepped of the chair and hugged both the men.

" Welcome back."she said to the man.

" Thanks Kat, anything new." Kat shook her head and pushed her long black hair out of her eyes. " Where's Lili, I want to thank her personally for the armor."

" I'm right here." The man turned around as he felt his face being slapped by a Lili's firm hand. She looked at him in anger and relief. " You fucking idiot. What were you thinking. Your the leader of this, you can't risk being captured." She lectured.

" Nice to see you too." he said, rubbing his face. " Did you have to hit me, it's the only thing I've felt recently."

" Sorry but someone has to keep you in line Travis."

" I thought I was the leader. Shouldn't I be keeping you in line?" Travis asked.

" You know what I mean. Are you okay?" she asked, changed from pissed off to concerned.

" I'm fine. They didn't get one non-sarcastic statement out of me, just blood."

" You should see a medic, the soldiers are worried."

" Yes mother." Travis said sarcastically and boarded the elevator.

---

An hour later Travis Stern, age thirty, six feet tall, short brown hair and brown eyes, reentered the lab as everyone looked back at him. He walked to Kat, Ben, and Lili who were looking at the screen of the computer. Ten years ago, shortly after the war ended, Travis' late grandmother told them to rebuild the lab. It took three years, but they managed to. A few years after that, they recruited people and formed a resistance against the CEA. After a few extreme battles, the city was destroyed, luckily after being evacuated. The resistance took the city and use it as their base.

The resistance's operations are centered on sabotaging the CEA from the inside. And are usually effective. They don't keep any information on the computers, because of Carthage. Travis Stern is seen as the leader of them, though no one officially holds the title.

Everyone recruited is examined closely, and if you didn't pass that part of initiation, they never get the information back to the CEA who had sent them. The four were in charge because they knew more about what they were fighting more than anyone.

Kat was going through some data on the computer, which couldn't be hacked, even by Carthage. The super computer had on uplink to Carthage, which is how they knew where Travis was being held.

" Nothing again. Lyoko can't help us today. We wait for them to make the move." Kat said placing her back against the chair.

" Alright. Put it on idle at check it tomorrow," Travis said. She nodded and was about to start typing before an alert popped up on the screen. " What is it?"

Kat opened it and looked at the information. " A transfer to the scanners," she said looking closer.

" Where from?" Travis asked, because it seemed a little odd.

" No that can't be right," Kat said reading it again.

" What can't be right?"

" It says the transfer is coming from, sector six. There is no sector six. Is there?" she asked everyone. Everyone shook their heads, except Travis. " What do you know Travis?"

" Where was it sent from?" Travis asked, because he knew what sector six was. His mother told him when he was fifteen.

" It's masked. Should I cut off the transfer?"

" No. I think I know what's coming through." Travis opened the hatch to the scanners and began to climb down.

" What's coming through?"

" It's not a what, it's a who."

" Well whatever it is, it's materializing."

---

The door to the scanner opened as white mist poured out of it. A hand lifted its occupant out slowly, who leaned against the door and stepped out. The occupant was a teen aged boy with mid length black hair His arms were rather muscular for his age, as was the rest of his body. His hair was soaked with sweat from the strain of traveling.

The boy stepped out, only to hear, " Don't you fucking move!" His hands shot up as he looked around. Ten guns were pointed at him, all blocking retreat. " Hands behind your head, slowly." The boy did as told and a moment later his wrist her pulled behind his back and cuffed.

A butt of a rifle was sent into the back of his leg, making him fall to his knees. Being hit again in the back he fell to his chest. " Who do you work for?" The soldier asked.

" Now, now, a little respect for out guest." said a voice from the corner of the room next a ladder.

" Commander Stern," The soldier said, standing straight.

" My name is Travis, not commander Stern at ease." The soldier stood as he normally would. Travis walked across the room and walked over to the boy laying on the ground in the center of the room. Pulling his head up by his hair he looked at his face.

" Hmm, raven black hair, strong arms, and a clueless complexion. Put him under and take him up to the interrogation room for questioning. If anyone touches him, you'll be executed by me personally."

A soldier walked next to the boy and stuck a needle into his neck as Travis said to the boy before he fell asleep, " Welcome to the future Odd jr."


	17. Intiation test

Odd jr was carried to the elevator and dragged to a small room, gently of course. Everyone took Travis Stern seriously, and those who didn't would never have the chance to do it again. They tied him to a chair and injected him with another shot to keep him asleep for a little longer. They left him in a room alone and shut the door behind them.

Travis took the elevator back upstairs to the main compound and began to walk to his room. When he opened the door he looked in and saw a women on the bed in the corner. His room was of course larger than most of the rooms at the base. It had a computer with a lyoko uplink, but had a passcode nearly a hundred characters long.

He shut the door and the woman on the bed looked up and saw him. " Travis!" The woman threw the blanket off her and wrapped her arms around him, knocking him against the door. She was wearing nothing but a thin blue robe. " After two weeks I began to fear the worst."

" I've missed you too." Travis said, hugging her back. The woman let him go and ran to the bed and pick up something on the shelf next to it. She ran back to him and handed him a wedding band that he put back on. " I hate myself every time I have to take it off."

" You do it to protect me, and I love you for that. Now you've been gone for two weeks, with bad food, and no women. Do you want anything from me." She kissed his neck as Travis slid her robe off her shoulders as it fell to the floor.

Travis tilted her chin up with his index finger and kissed her lips. After three kissed she slid her tongue into his mouth, and began to dance with his. She back pedaled back to the bed. Travis grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her on the bed, and lay over her. His wife helped him with his shirt, then his body armor underneath it. Travis undid his belt and threw it to the side and pulled his pants off and began to thrust.

Ten minutes later his door opened. " Sir the subject," he saw what he was doing, " Oh sorry sir."

" What is it?" he asked, looking back at the door irritated.

" Um..the subject is ready for interrogation."

" Put him out for another twenty minutes," Travis looked away from the door then said, " On second thought, make it a half hour."

" Yes sir." The door was halfway closed before Travis continued.

" And private. Learn how to knock."

---

Thirty minutes later Travis left his wife and got dressed as she was still kissing him, begging for just a little more. Travis finished dressing and walked to the interrogation room and opened the door. Odd jr was still sleeping when Travis walked in. Lili and Ben were in the room waiting for him.

" Smelling salts." Lili handed him a small item and Travis ran it past Odd jr's nose, making him wake up violently. " Calm down."

Odd jr looked around the room in a dizzy haze. Slowly he looked at everyone in the room that was still spinning around him. His head was aching and he felt nauseated. He groaned loud as he tried to focus his vision steady. Looking up he saw six people. After his minute his double vision ended and he was looking at only three.

" Where am I?" he asked himself.

" You are at the lyoko resistance headquarters. The year is two thousand sixty nine and you are currently tied to a chair," Travis answered him. Travis cut his restraints and Odd jr began to fall to the ground, but Ben caught him before he hit the ground.

" No. The year is two thousand six. I was sent there."

" Something happened that day Thirty years ago." Travis, Lili and Ben told Odd jr why he was here instead where he need to be.

" Alright, just send me back through," Odd jr, making it easier than it sounded.

" We can't. When your father shot the screen he damaged the departure abilities of sector six. We can still receive but we can't send. Your stuck here."

Those words hit Odd jr like a slap in the face. He was stuck in the future with no hope of ever returning. Everyone he ever loved, was dead. His mother, his father, Angela, Carla. Everyone. What made him sleep bad that night was knowing xana had won.

---

Travis woke up Odd jr early the next day. Odd jr looked back at him and waited from him to speak. " Today you get a taste of much has changed. Put these on." He threw Odd jr a black body armor and closed the door. Odd jr sighed and put on the armor and walked out of the room he would be staying in for possibly the rest of his life. Travis was outside of the door and Odd jr followed him.

" So who are you exactly?" Odd jr asked, not having asked it earlier.

" I'm the son of your friends Xi and Angela. Right now I'm seen as the leader of the resistance of the world ruled by xana."

" How did this even happen to begin with."

" Xana possessed someone high in the government. More like became him. He placed a man named Toby Miller in the scanner and had him drained. He then wed Keiko Stern to get closer to everyone, then fucked us in the ass. Made it real convincing when Keiko had Lili."

" Wait a minute. That woman in there is the spawn of xana."

" Don't let my heritage fool you. I know where my loyalty lies, and I'll kill my father on the first opportunity," Lili answered walking from behind them. " You'll need this." She handed Odd jr a gun. Odd j looked at it then back at her.

" Things aren't that bad are they?" The doors to the base opened. Odd jr looked at the city that he once lived in. Buildings were destroyed, abandoned, let to rot. Cars were left to rust, and every other step he'd find a skeleton that still had tarnished clothing wrapped around the bones.

" This can't be real." he begged.

" It is. Better get used to it. We're going to check the area for CEA scouts. Kill on sight."

---

Odd and Travis began to search the west side of the city keeping alert of everything, and anything. Travis took the lead with Odd jr gingerly following, praying he wouldn't get shot. They heard a few pebbles hit the ground and Odd jr turned to the left and fired once wildly, hitting a defenseless cat.

" Calm down. Nothing usually happens." Suddenly gunfire was erupted upon them as Travis tackled Odd jr to the ground. They crawled under cement from a fallen building. Travis pulled out a radio and said, " Attention forces. Bogey in the wire, west side shots fired." A CEA soldier jumped around as Travis shot him.

Odd jr covered his ears as the gun fire subsided. Was it over? An explosion landed near them and Odd jr had his answer. A grenade rolled in as Travis grabbed it and chucked it back over the cement. It exploded and Odd jr tried not to scream. Another soldier came around the corned and before he could fire he was hit several times, blood spraying up and off his body as he fell to the ground. Lili took cover with them.

" You okay?" she asked Travis.

" Is that sarcasm?" Another explosion made dust fall from above them. " Least their aim sucks."

An explosion hit directly above them and the cement began to fall. Travis kicked Odd jr out of the way and tackled Lili to the ground. The two couldn't completely get out of the way and a few pieces of rock hit Travis's back as he protected Lili.

" You okay?" Travis asked her, throwing the rocks off himself.

" Is that sarcasm." She smiled then realized they were still in trouble. Lili helped Travis into cover and then looked back at Odd jr was ducked under some rocks, sparks from bullets hitting rocks all around him. Odd jr screamed as a bullet hit him in the leg and held his thigh as blood ran down his leg.

" Odd!" Odd jr looked over to her scared as a soldier charged his cover. He was hit by Ben who just arrived with five lyoko soldiers. They covered Odd jr as he moved into better cover.

" Move out!" Ben shouted and fired at the CEA soldiers on the roof.

" Ben!" Ben looked to his left and saw Travis and Lili and ran toward them shooting. Lili saw blood spray from his ankle as Ben hit the ground hard. He began to crawl before they saw his head spray red and his body rested on the ground.

" BEN!" He was dead. Odd jr saw that and froze. A lyoko soldier tackled him back into cover as a CEA soldier charged again Travis hit the soldier in the head and kept his down. The CEA snipers on the roofs were suddenly under fire by lyoko soldiers who had found them. The battle ended quickly after that, the Lyoko taking the sniper spots and picking off the remaining soldiers.

" Body count?" Travis asked as he came out of his cover.

" Five lyoko, twenty CEA," someone said over the radio.

" Where's the kid?"

" I'm right here." Odd jr said running over to him, still scared.

" I don't understand it, they're never so bold to fight us on our territory."

" Maybe they knew we wouldn't expect it," Lili said. They all turned around as they saw two lyoko soldiers dragging a CEA soldier by his arms.

" We have a live one sir. Orders?" Travis looked at the soldier, and so did Odd jr. It was kid, not even sixteen. He looked at everyone scared as the soldiers threw him to the ground. The kid looked up at Travis, quivering in fear.

" Odd, shoot him." Travis said coldly.

" What? He's a kid."

" Age has nothing to do with how dangerous he is. Shoot him."

Odd jr looked Travis straight in the eye and said, " No. I'm not under your command." Travis punched Odd jr, making him fall backward and to the ground.

" Then that's something we'll have to work on." Travis pulled his pistol from his belt and aimed it at the kid. Before he fired Odd jr grabbed his arm, but Travis elbowed him in the face, giving him a bloody nose.

Travis aimed it at Odd jr and said, " Look there are only two types of people in the world. CEA, and lyoko. If your not with me your against me. Tell me Odd jr are you with me?" Odd jr held the gun to Odd jr chin, " Or against me?" Odd jr just starred at him. " Choose your words boy, because if your against me I'll shoot you like any other CEA soldier, and brag about it later."

" I'm with you." Odd jr said, not agreeing, but not wanting to die anytime soon. Travis smiled.

" Good. Now your initiation, shoot him." Odd jr looked at the kid who looked at him as scared as Odd jr was earlier. Odd jr stood up and took the gun from Travis and aimed it at the kids head. The kid closed his eyes as Odd jr pulled the trigger. The gun clicked from the safety still being on.

Travis laughed and said, " Good job. Your officially a killer." Odd jr looked at him angry as they heard a gun go off and Odd jr get hit in the chest several five times before he fell. Travis turned around and clicked the safety off and shot the attacker.

Travis crouched down next to Odd jr who was groaning in pain. " Bulletproof kid." He grabbed Odd jr by his shirt and felt something wet, checking his hand he saw blood.

" What the fuck, the vest didn't catch it. Give me a magnet!" Odd jr was screaming in pain, as he tried to stay conscious. A soldier handed Travis a small item, as he ripped Odd jr shirt off and pulled up the vest to see the wounds. All of the bullets got through. Three in the stomach, one in chest, one in the shoulder.

Lili rested Odd jr head on her lap, trying to comfort him from the pain. She looked into his eyes, trying to calm him down as Travis went to work.

Travis placed the small item over one wound and pressed a button. Odd jr screamed in pain as the bullet was pulled out of him.

" It does more damage if it's still in you." Lili said to him. " Try to relax, only four more to go." Odd jr screamed again as another was pulled out of him. Lili held his hand as tears of agony ran down face. After the bullets were out a soldier handed Travis a bottle of some gel like substance that Travis placed over the wound, that hardened quickly.

" It's done, good job." Odd jr was still crying, but the screaming had subsided. Travis stood up from his work and looked at a soldier.

" Take him back to the base, and start cleaning up this mess." Travis turned to face the kid on the ground and saw he was gone.

" He's making a run for it!" A sniper said over the radio. " Orders?"

" Leg shot, I want to question him." They heard go off from the roof and then heard a shout in pain as the kid fell. " Someone get him and take him to base. Everyone fall out, we're calling it a day."


	18. At the party

Travis and the remaining lyoko forces moved off the battlefield and returned to the base. Odd jr was placed in the hospital, and Travis made to the lab. When he arrived at a hallway that was unoccupied he looked both ways then walked into one of the bathrooms on the compound. Removing his shirt he stepped to the mirror to see if any new scars were added.

On his face were four scars. One on his right check, two on his forehead, and one that looked like a slash that went down his face, passing over his right eye. He ran his finger down that line and a bad memory passed through his mind.

Ten years ago when they had just started to fix the computer his grandmother was moving something a little to heavy for someone her age to lift. The pressure from the lift stressed her heart and gave her a heart attack, that she died from. When she dropped the item it hit an unstable piece of equipment that exploded.

Travis remembered being hit by a piece of it, waking up two days later to hear that she was dead. When he woke up, he also didn't feel something. His hand. His entire left hand, two inches above the wrist was taken off during the accident.

Shaking the memory away he looked at his synthetic hand. It looked real, but it wasn't. Turning around he undressed and began to take a shower, a cold shower. Letting the water soak his head, he grabbed some soap and did his front, then his back. When he reached around his back he felt a sharp pain at his right shoulder and fell to a knee. Reaching over with his other arm her touched his shoulder and felt the same pain, and blood going down the drain.

" What the hell?" he asked himself.

" It's from the rock falling," Answered a female voice at the shower door. Travis looked over and saw Lili. " It's pretty bad. We need to stitch it before it gets infected."

" I'm fine, now get out."

" Your not fine Travis. Your hurt, and you know it. Not like you tried to avoid the hit, you took it for me."

" Your welcome, now get out," Travis shot back standing up as the water continued to run down. " Why are you in here anyway?"

" Because I noticed when you walked in, blood was staining your shirt, and you didn't even know you were injured. Let me help."

" No! I'm fine, now leave me alone." Lil frowned and throw something at Travis that hit him directly in the shoulder. Travis shouted it pain as Lil looked at him, making her point.

" That was a sock rolled into a ball. Let me patch it or I'll throw something softer at you." Travis looked at her with the water rolling past his face. Looking down he saw blood was also going down the drain. Trying to lift his arm he noticed how injured he was.

" Please Travis. I know you don't trust anyone, but trust me," Lili said in a soft concerned voice.

" Alright," he answered. " Just let me actually get something on you pervert." Lili giggled and Travis pass her to put something on. The two walked to the infirmary where Travis sat on a bed and Lili cleaned the shallow part of the wound with peroxide. Travis cringed from the sting of the peroxide.

" I've seen you get shot, tortured, and stabbed without even one indication of pain, but when it comes to peroxide you're a pussy."

" Shut up and finish it already." Lili spilled a little peroxide it on purpose. Travis groaned loudly, " What the fuck was that for?" Lili shook her head and kept cleaning the shoulder. Walking over to the shelf Lili pulled out a syringe. She moved it past Travis who grabbed her wrist, not liking shots.

" It numbs your shoulder so the stitching can go properly. If you think I'm injecting poison, break it. If not, let my wrist go and let me finish this."

Travis looked her in the eye, then let her wrist go. Lili injected the numbing liquid and waited a few minutes. " Is it numb yet." Travis nodded and Lili pulled out the needle and went to work.

" It might pinch some." The needle went in and Travis cringed. " Wanna hold my hand?" she asked sarcastically. In twenty minutes Lili finished and covered the stitches with the gel that Travis used on Odd jr. It hardened fast, but didn't become stale, becoming a comfortable bandage that'll peel off when the wound is healed. " There you go, all better. Wanna lolly pop big boy."

" Shut up," Travis said, standing up and putting on his shirt. " Thanks." Lili wasn't expecting a thank you, but still accepted it. Travis left the room as Lili put the medical tools away then followed him.

They both entered the interrogation room that held the CEA soldier who was still a kid. It looked like they weren't holding restraint on him because of his age. His face was bruised badly, and he was practically forcing himself to stay awake. He may of been young, but he wasn't going to crack anytime soon. When Travis and Lili entered the room the boy looked at him, and actually shivered. Travis among CEA troops was known for his brutality, impatience, and short temper. He was last person you didn't want to crack with.

The CEA kid was bound tightly to a metal chair, that was handcuffed to his ankles. In front of him was table, and on the table was a few items about the interrogation. On the table was the bulletproof shirt Lili had made, a gun with armor piercing bullets, and the gun that had been used to shoot Odd jr. Travis walked over to the kid and looked him straight in the eye and saw immediately he was scared.

Travis picked up the shirt and held it in front of the kid. " Do you know what this is?" Travis asked.

" A shirt." The kid answered.

" Not just any shirt, but a bulletproof one," Travis said to him. " This thing is extremely durable. Example." Travis picked up the shirt and hung it up on the wall. Travis then picked up the armor piercing bullets gun, and began to fire at the shirt. The empty shells hit the ground as he stopped, the shirt rocking back and forth. Travis walked over and held up the shirt. The bullets he fired slid off the shirt and hit the ground. " See very durable."

" Where is this going?" The kid asked him. Travis punched the kid in the face making him and the chair fall back. Travis placed his foot on the chair leg and pushed down, pulling the kid back up.

" I ask the questions, not you. Now watch this time, with the ammo your friends were using today." Travis picked up the other gun and fired at the shirt. The rounds went straight through, hitting the wall. Travis stopped.

" Tell me how you knew we had new armor that can stop armor piercing bullets. Tell me how you know what was needed to cut through the shirt."

" I don't know. I'm only a private." Travis sat on another chair.

" What's your name then private?"

" Louis. Louis Ishiyama." That name echoed between Lili and Travis, who looked at each other.

" Ishiyama. That's my grandmothers maiden name. Is that a coincidence?"

" Probably. What's your grandmothers name?"

" Yumi Ishiyama."

" That's the name of my great aunt. My grandfather's sister. His name was Hiroki Ishiyama. I'm his son's son."

" We're family then." Travis said propping his feet up on the table. " Tell me Louis how did you get involved in the CEA?"

" I was adopted by the military when I was ten. I hate it there."

" Then all the better of telling me what I want to know. If you do and prove your loyalty I can guaranty your safety within these walls. How did they know about the armor and how did they make the ammo to pierce it?" Louis smiled.

" That's easy. We have a dealer who works within the city. How they knew about the armor and how to pierce it I don't know, but who designed the bullets I do." The interrogation went smooth after that.

Louis told Travis about a man named Dominic. He didn't have a last name. He wasn't in the CEA directly, but he works for them making handguns and other armory. His favorite thing to do was arrange fights in the northern moth part of the city for entertainment and profit.

---

Travis, Lili, Louis, and three other soldiers took a jeep out of the base and began to short drive to the northern area of the city. People still lived in the northern part, but not many. Usually the north part was used for illegal trading, just the place to find some good ammunition. They followed Louis' directions with a gun to his head in case he had any bright ideas. They stopped the jeep outside of a building that a few people were gathered around. When they saw the jeep, the lyoko forces and guns, the people in the area fled.

" Must be the place."

Travis, Lili and Louis climbed out of the jeep and began to climb down a flight of stairs that led into the basement of the building. The further they got, the louder music got. The passed couples pinning each other on the wall, making out and drunks on the floor that they had to step over. At the end the music was being muffed by a large steel door that had a extremely large man guarding it.

Travis stepped up the man and said, " Sounds like one hell of a party in there."

" You can't go in. No lyoko forces allowed." Travis pulled out his gun and aimed it at the mans head.

" I beg to differ." The guard pulled out his own gun and had it aimed at Travis. " Maybe I'll ask nicely. May I please join the fun party?"

" Get the fuck out of here army boy."

" Do you have any idea who the hell I am?"

" A dead man if you don't leave. Get out." Travis put his gun back in its case placed on his belt then turned around and swung at the man hitting him in the stomach. The bouncer fell back and hit the door as Travis grabbed his collar and began to punch his face with his left hand. After three punches he head butted him and let him slide down the door.

" Nice Travis," Lili complemented. " We came here for Dominic, not to beat the shit of a bouncer."

" One step at a time." Travis said. Travis drew two pistols and opened the door and kept the aim up. The room was at least a hundred yards long, with a ten foot roof. Several bars were placed around the room, half naked women danced on tables and on the bars as men drank and watched. Speakers were placed all around the room, making it deafening.

Travis looked around the room and said, " My kinda place. Drinks on me." Travis sat down at the first bar and looked at the bartender. " Bottle of scotch, and three glasses."

" We don't serve lyoko here. How did you get in?"

" Oh bubbles over there let us in. We're friends of Dominic's."

" Dominic's huh. He's not here yet, but whatever no one follows rules anymore." The bartender bent down and grabbed a full bottle of scotch down next to Travis. Then he placed three shot glasses and filled them for Travis. Lili shrugged and sat next to Travis, who handed her a shot glass.

" Kid have a seat and take a drink." Travis said, patting the seat next to his.

" I'm not legal to drink." said Louis.

" Pre game. Gulp it down and slam the glass on the bar." Louis sat down and took the drink in his hand, then smelt it. It smelled like crap to him. Lili and Travis hit each others glasses then drank theirs. Louis shrugged and did the same. He gagged after he swallowed and began to cough.

Travis patted his back and laughed. " That's the spirit."

After an hour of waiting Travis looked at the door and saw the bouncer looking for him. He saw Travis and called some more bouncers and soon five huge men were standing around them. " Lili, your six."

" How many?"

" Five, armed. Friendly approach."

" That's the fucker right there!" the bouncer said pointing at him. " He cheapshotted me and broke in." The five bouncers looked at them. Lili spun her bar stool around.

" Is there a problem here?" She asked them politely. They all looked at Lili who was trying to look as cute as possible, which wasn't hard for her. With that distraction Travis pulled out a gun, but froze when he heard a shotgun load.

" Don't even think about it screw boy. What do you want here, because I know you don't know Dominic," The bartender said with the shotgun in his hand aimed at Travis, point blank.

" How's that?" Travis asked, a complete bluff.

" I'm Dominic. What do you want?"

" You did business with the CEA. You designed very powerful armor piercing bullets, what'd they pay you?"

" You came down here to ask me a question like that. Your suicidal kid, but if you took him out no problem you have some skill. Tell you what, I'll make you a deal. If you win five rounds of caged combat, I'll talk and let you go."

" What if I lose. You can take the jeep upstairs."

" We have jeeps. What we don't have is women like your friend here," Dominic said, eye humping Lili up and down, starting at her legs and moving up. " You lose I get her."

Lili turned around quickly and said, " Don't count on it. He'd never bet..."

" Deal," Travis said to him. Dominic smiled and handed the shotgun to one of the bouncers. They began to lead them away from the bar.

" You can't bet me." Lili said to him angry.

" I won't lose. I've handled bigger guys than him."

" Travis you know very well size doesn't matter in fighting. I'm tiny but I'd kick your ass any day."

" Lili. I've never lost a fair or unfair fight. Five in a row shouldn't be a problem," Travis said, seeing the cage and crowd gather.

" If you lose, I'll shoot them before I let them touch me."

" If I win you'll shoot me for betting you, maybe I Should I throw it," he said sarcastically.

" We need him to talk. Just win a few fights, and don't lose."


	19. Unfair odds

Travis was thrown into a circular caged area surrounded by a twenty foot high chainlink fence. The diameter of the ring was twenty feet, and the ground was several inches of sand. The cage was surrounded by two sets bleacher seats that were currently filled with drunken spectators cheering and booing.

Bets were made against Travis, him being almost twice as small as the man just entering the cage. Lili watched the man walked in, and suddenly felt scared for Travis and herself. If he lost, well she'd rather not think about it.

Travis eyed the man, studying him for a weakness. The man stood six and a half feet tall, two hundred pounds of solid muscle.

" This should be easy." Travis said aloud as the man looked at him and snickered. " Hey Lili, I'll give him ten seconds. When the bell rings start counting." Lili nodded and looked at his opponent again.

" Place your bets now. A lyoko soldier against the cage favorite bear," Dominic said to everyone. The stands went crazy with bets on Bear. Only one person bet on Travis, who obviously saw something special in Travis noone else did. " Begin!"

A bell went off and Lili began to count. Bear charged Travis who stood casual. Lili reached two Mississippi. Bear was getting closer and closer, about to strike Travis. Lili reached five Mississippi. The Bear cocked back his left hand to and leaned in to punch Travis, but was stopped by a high kick to his chin. Bear was knocked into the air then fell back to the ground unconscious.

The crowd went from mindless cheering to silent awe. They hadn't expected that to happen. It had happened so quick. One moment bear is swinging, the next he was out of it.

" Seven seconds." Lili said to Travis, looking relieved. Dominic saw that, and smiled. He sent in another man who was about the same size as Travis, and the betting went around again. A few more people betted on Travis who looked at the man and knew this would be harder.

The bell sounded and the next opponent stood at the ready, waiting for Travis to make the first move. Travis smiled expecting that and rushed him low. Travis swung his foot at his ankles and the man did a back handspring to avoid the hit. Travis kicked high and the man ducked and sent both fists into Travis's stomach.

Grunting Travis fell to his back as the man jumped up, and stomped down. Travis rolled out of the way and kicked the man's feet from under him. Twisting his foot around his body hit the mans head, sending him to sleep.

Travis stood up as his last victim was dragged off out of the cage. Lili became a little relieved after that fight.

" Two rounds out of a possible five and this soldier is still standing. Next we have the agile and quick leopard. Travis watched a man smaller than him step into the arena. Leopard was shirtless, and scrawny, but he had to have some skill. The crowd betted against Travis again. Apparently this leopard was an arena favorite.

A bell sounded and Travis and leopard both charged. Travis cocked back and swung, hitting air then felling a fist hit his face. It was weak punch, but it did sting. Leopard was ducking dodging, then countering Travis' every attack. Travis swung high and leopard ducked put his hands on the ground and sent both heels into Travis' stomach.

Travis' back hit the cage, and he was about to move before some of the spectators grabbed his arms, and held him against the fence.

" Let me go!" Leopard to this chance and began to send a serious of punched into Travis' stomach who had to stand there and take it. After about twelve punches to the gut Travis' vision was becoming blurry, as he tried to stay awake. It was taking a long time, but leopard's punches were starting to hurt. Leopard sent a roundhouse to Travis' head who fell to the ground.

" Whoa folks it's over!" Dominic said with a smile looking at Lili who couldn't believe what she had seen. Leopard put his hands up and absorbed the applause around him, turning his back on Travis. No one saw Travis' hand grab a rock buried in the sand, then standup. Lili smiled at Dominic who looked back at the match.

" Leopard behind you!" leopard turned around as Travis slapped him with the rock in his hand against his left temple. He was still alive, just hurt badly. " Son of a bitch." Dominic said, looking at Lili who was applauding Travis.

Leopard hit the ground hard as Travis dropped the rock in the sand and fell to one knee. Leopard tried to stand up, but Travis sent his left fist into his face, finishing him. Some people in the crowd actually cheered when they saw him go down. Of course it was the few smart enough to bet on Travis. They dragged Leopard out of the cage, and a moment later two people entered the ring.

They were two impressively ripped men, one white, one black. They looked like brothers except the racial fact. " Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the brothers." the crowd erupted in acceptance, finally this army guy was outmatched.

" That's unfair odds!" Lili shouted at Dominic.

" I said five rounds, never mentioned them being fair odds." The bell sounded and both brothers came at Travis swinging. Travis ducked under the black ones punch, then jumped over the white ones kick. The black brother expected that and kicked Travis while he was still in the air. Travis fell to his back hard and then rolled back. He got to his feet, but before he could get to his feet was kicked in the face. Travis fell back again, then felt a kick in his ribs.

The brothers continued to kick him while he was down Travis doing his best to block the attacks from doing more damage. Looking up he saw the white brother was about to stomp on his face before Travis heard the crowd uproar and him get tackled to the ground.

The black brother looked up and Travis took that moment to take him out. With a swift trip he sent him to ground, rolled onto his body and sent both hands into the sides of his neck. It was pressure point he learned a long time ago, but was difficult to find, but he found it and he was out.

Travis looked at the other fight going on and saw Lili was taking on the white guy. Lili ducked under a punch then sent her shoulder into the mans stomach. She rammed him against the fence, but he locked his fists together and sent them both into her back. Lili hit the ground as he looked up to see Travis' fist in his face. The man fell against the fence and was launched forward and to the sand.

" What the hell are you thinking?" Travis asked Lili as he helped her up.

" Just making the fight fair. One more to go, ready?" Travis nodded and looked to Dominic.

" Only the man, not the woman, can't have my prize getting bruised can I." Two men walked in to dragged off the brothers, then another to escort Lili out of the cage.

" Now final round. You know him you love him. The little titan of hell, Louis." The crowd erupted louder than before as the kid entered the ring.


	20. Those who don't cooperate

" What the hell is going on Louis?" Travis asked Louis who had just stepped into the ring.

" I'm the cage champion. I work for Dominic and CEA. And I'm loyal, just been playing you for awhile." Louis answered with a smile stepping into the circular sand ring. " Before you ask, I am your cousin. I am an Ishiyama, the CEA just pay better."

" I should of killed you in that skirmish."

" Yes you should of, but you trusted someone. Trust isn't a real thing anymore. You can't trust anyone. Now shall we get this underway." Louis asked, taking his shirt off and throwing it to the dirt and place on a pair of leather gloves that his fingertips poked out. Cracking his knuckles and his neck he went into a defensive pose and listened to the bell ring.

Travis observed his new enemy. Louis was pretty much solid tone muscle on every inch of his body. He looked focused, ready, like he knew what he was doing. " Kid, you can't beat me." Travis said to him.

" Try me." The bell sounded and Travis rushed Louis and kicked high. Louis rolled back and took Travis' feet out from under him. Travis fell back and caught himself before he hit the ground, and rolled back to avoid Louis kick. Back on his feet Travis waited for Louis to make the first move. Louis smiled and rushed Travis, and swung with his left hand. Travis caught his left hand with is right, then caught his right with the left. Louis attempted to knee Travis who released his hands to block it, only to receive two fists in the face.

Travis was knocked back against the fence, then received two more punches in the face from Louis. Louis swung low and Travis caught his fist, and pulled his head against his hard. Louis fell to his back as Travis jumped into the air and stomped down. Louis rolled back, making Travis stomp the sand. Wrapping his legs around his waist Louis pulled Travis to the ground then rolled back up to his feet.

Travis rolled to his chest and pushed off with his arms to get himself to his feet. Looking up at Louis who was waiting for him, he rushed him and sent his shoulder into his stomach, ramming him against the wall. Louis put his fist together and slammed them on Travis' back who loosened his grip. Sending his knee into Travis' gut, Louis threw Travis off him and to his back. Advancing on Travis quickly, Louis took a kick to his gut, then his face, sending him against the fence.

Travis rolled back and kicked himself to his feet and rushed the still stunned Louis, sending his fist into his face. Grabbing his arm he flung him to the dirt and walked toward him. Louis grabbed the sand from the floor and threw it into Travis' face who didn't have time to cover his eyes. Lili let out a gasp when she saw Travis go to one knee, trying to regain focus from the sudden blindness. Louis kicked Travis in the ribs who let out a grunt and fell back. Travis listened carefully and punched Louis back down after he charged again.

" You have some good ears, let's keep things quiet." Louis stealthily moved around Travis who was trying to find him. Taking a step closer he kicked Travis in the back who wobbled forward and returned a kick of his own, almost hitting Louis. Louis crouched down and moved away as quietly as possible, his foot steps being drowned by the crowed's cheering. Slowly his vision became less blurry, but it was still not reliable. Louis looked around him and saw the rock Travis used to beat leopard and pick it up.

Louis threw the rock against the fence and Travis turned to face the noise. Taking that chance Louis ran and jumped kicked Travis into the fence face first, then pinned him against it. Travis elbowed him the ribs, then the face making Louis fall back to the dirt. Travis moved that way and swung, not expecting the punch to send Louis to the ground. Louis sent the sole of his foot into Travis' gut. When he hunched down to hold his stomach, Louis rolled up, grabbed Travis' shoulders and rolled Travis over him and to his back. Rolling back and onto Travis, Louis pinned Travis' arms down with his knees, then began to choke him.

Travis struggled to get free, but Louis held him firm. He could feel his heartbeat quickening pace, had to think of something before Louis killed him. Lili was about to jump in again before she heard a shotgun load and looked to see Dominic shaking his head with a smile. She was almost his.

" Come on Travis!" Lili shouted at him, more for herself than him. Travis didn't hear her but had an idea. With his left hand, he grabbed Louis' thigh and squeezed it tight. Travis heard the bone crack and then Louis scream in agony and Travis pushed Louis off him.

" What the hell did you do!" Louis screamed looking at Travis who could see better now. Looking at Travis' left hand he saw that the skin was peeling off and underneath it was shiny.

" Your hand isn't real." Louis was on his knee of the leg that wasn't crushed, when Travis walked over to him and swung his left hand, connecting with Louis' head that spun around so fast and violently, it broke his neck. Louis lay up for a moment, before his dead weight pulled him to the ground.

Lili let out a sigh of relief then entered the ring to help Travis, who actually accepted her help. She was expecting him to put up a fight about receiving help, he didn't. Travis' face was cut and bruised, his lips bleeding, and his stitches were bleeding. His eyes were still stinging, so Lili poured some water on them, it would have to do for now.

" You okay?" She asked him.

" Sorry for betting you. Didn't count on this little shit being good," Travis answered, wiping some blood of his face.

" You won, so I can't be too mad. But don't expect me to be nice to you for awhile."

" Shouldn't be a problem, your never nice." Lili giggled and helped him up, Travis' finally noticing how hurt he was. Some of the people in the crowd laughed at him because a woman was helping him out of the cage. Travis didn't care, he had done what he wanted to. Now it was Dominic's turn to hold up his end.

---

Dominic, Lili, and Travis sat in a room waiting for the question and answering to start. Lili had put a few bandages on Travis, then looked at his shoulder that was still bleeding. The fights had opened his stitches, so after Lili bandaged them until they could be restitched, she helped Travis to Dominic's business room. They sat on two couches that was separated by a coffee table. Lili and Travis sat on one, Dominic on the other.

" What do you want to know?" he asked.

" How did the CEA know how to pierce our vests?" Travis asking Lili to show him hers, because his was off.

" I don't know. They showed me the material and I went to work. They payed me ten million up front, and that was the down payment."

" What's the full amount?" Travis asked, wanting to know how deep the CEA's pockets were.

" Hundred million, for one bullet design. After a few tests, I had managed to make the bullets. Here's what they look like." Dominic put a single bullet on the table and Travis examined it. It was light, with a weighted and extremely sharp tip. The bullet was two inches long and was had something on the end of it that Travis had never seen before.

" What is the purpose of this design at the base?" Travis asked handing the bullet to Lili.

" That makes it spin, so the bullet acts like a drill. The magazine can hold two hundred of these, I made it ammo friendly. Rapid fire, ranged combat." Travis looked at the bullet again and nodded. Powerful indeed. " May I ask you a question?"

" Shoot."

" How was that armor made? It is as strong as steel, but weighs and is as flexible as cloth."

" It's a process of heating and cooling of small strands of a certain alloy." Lili explained. " I made each stand as thin as string, and used a machine to sow it into the armor. Pretty simple actually." Dominic smiled and lay back into his couch comfortably.

" Can you make us some of those rounds?" Travis asked.

" No. I work for CEA, and them only. Besides, I have a high price for my services."

" I have a higher one for those who don't cooperate," Travis said pulling out his gun and shooting Dominic in the head. His gun was silenced so no one heard the shot, but him Lili quietly left before they knew he was dead. When they were in his office, they found a few boxes of the ammo, and took those with him. If they couldn't get it from Dominic, maybe Katerina Belpois could copy the design.


	21. Is it wrong?

" Very interesting," Kat said while sitting up side down, holding the bullet with her index finger and thumb. " Very light, maybe too light. That's probably why it just didn't go straight through him." Kat held the bullet with her fist and flipped herself back to her feet. " I could use the design and improve it."

" Anything you can do that'll help," Travis said who was getting his stitches redone by Lili. " Easy!" Travis shouted at her for going a little to deep in with the needle.

" Then hold still," Lili complained trying to find where she left off. " Why would they make a bullet that wasn't perfect?"

" Maybe this was the prototype and the skirmish was a test run," Kat said, offering her theory.

" Why would they kill off twenty of their own?"

" To them, anyone is expendable. But right now we need to find the information leak." Everyone looked at Travis.

" Information leak?" Lili asked him.

" Someone knew about the material, someone brought them the material, and someone is responsible for killing Ben, and putting the kid in the hospital," Travis explained to them. " What do we know?"

" We know he'd have to be high within lyoko to even know about it, so that limits the search," Lili said to everyone.

" Not necessarily. It could be someone low, who knows too much, which widens the search," Kat explained.

" Or it could be someone who isn't even lyoko. Basically, it can be anyone," Travis said. All three sighed at the same time and Travis said, " Alright start asking questions, and monitor the base." Kat nodded and left the room as Lili finished Travis' stitches.

---

Lili and Kat were in the lab after Lili had finished fixing Travis' shoulder again. " What are you up to?" Lili asked stepping into the lab.

" The new bullet design. I'll use this one as a guideline, and I should start making a prototype by tomorrow."

" Good," Lili said, pretending to be interested.

" What's on your mind?" Kat asked, turning the chair to look at her. Lili only carried on like this if she wanted to talk about something usually a little uncomfortable. " I'm your aunt, you can tell me anything."

" I'm a twenty nine year old woman who can't figure things out on her own."

" Everyone needs a little advise every now and then. What is it?" Kat asked, wanting to know. Kat enjoyed these talks. It kept her mind of what was really going on.

" Are you in love?" She asked with humor and not seriously.

" Not sure, I think I might love him, but then again, maybe not," Lili blurted out fast.

" Slow down. You think your in love, but not sure. Who is it?" Kat asked with a grin. It had been awhile since the two had a girl talk.

" I know it's weird not to mention wrong..but, um.."

" Just say it."

" I think I'm in love with Travis," Lili answered with a lot of uncertainty.

" Travis? Your in love with you ego maniacal, brutally tactical, smart ass cousin?" Lili gave a half nod, not sure, the reason she was asking for advise. " Okay, I think you asked the wrong person for advise."

" Sorry for wasting your time." Lili said, walking toward the elevator.

" I'm joking. Sit down." Lili turned back around and sat on the chair next to Kat. " Can I ask why?"

" I don't know, that's why I'm asking you for help. I know I shouldn't, but I do."

" Why Travis? He's brutal, refuses help, an asshole, and emotionally shut."

" In other words, he's human," Lili said to Kat looking up, " I've know Travis since we were kids, and we went through the war together. I've watched his back, he's watched mine. I guess it's been building over the years."

" None the less he's your cousin. A close family relative."

" Should of known you'd be no help," Lili said standing up and off the chair. Kat grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back down.

" Your not going anywhere until we talk this out," Kat said, not wanting her emotions to cause problems.

" You're not my mother."

" I'm the closest thing to a mother you have left. Me and Travis are the closest family you have. We're working this out, before we lose what we have."

" What should I do?" Lili asked, not knowing what to do. " He's even married to that bitch."

" I think she's nice, you just don't like her because of Travis."

" Shut up. She's a bitch to me at least. You just don't see her often enough." Kat laughed and shook her head.

" Your actually jealous," Kat said, starting to see what Lili's problem was.

" I know." Kat didn't expect that kind of response. She was expecting a fight of mixed emotions. " What should I do?" Lili asked again.

" I honestly can't help on that. Travis is unpredictable. There is no telling how Travis would react to news like that."

" I know. He is a little on edge."

" Lili, he fell off the edge a long time ago."

" Just help me, what are my options?" Lili asked, needing something to go by.

" Tell him, don't tell. Only two. There are many ways to tell him so if you intend on pursuing that, choice the one with less blood." Kat said. Lili looked at her a little angry and Kat said, " Alright, what have you done so far?"

" Helped with his stitches that he was reluctant to get at first. Walked in on him in the showers to tell him he needed stitches."

" So it wasn't an accident?" Kat asked, hearing about that from Travis.

" No. He needed stitches. I didn't stare if that's what you think."

" No comment."

" In the arena fight, after he killed that Louis kid, he actually let me help him without a fight." Kat looked at her shocked. " I know, not even a fight."

" That's weird. Think he was hit in the head to hard?"

" Maybe, but it takes a pretty hard hit to knock him out of focus. At the skirmish, he took a shot for me, something he would never do for anyone."

" I think you should watch him a little more, then decide. Do a little recon before dropping the bomb, if you do," Kat asked, just trying to help.

" Do you find it wrong that I might be in love with my cousin?" Lili asked, wanting some input on that.

" Very wrong actually. But hey, who am I to judge. I thought I might love Charlie."

" Charlie Robbia?"

" Yep. We had no, direct relation, but we did share a half sister. Then he died saving you before I could make up my mind. Man what a body on that guy."

" Travis' is better," Lili before she knew it. She quickly covered her mouth and mumbled, " Please tell me I didn't say that."

" Oh yeah, you said it." Lili blushed redder than a red pepper, and stood up walking toward the elevator.

" Im going to lay down for an hour," Lili said pressing the up button, and using the retina scanner.

" Make it two." Lili flipped her off as the doors closed.


	22. The Leak

Travis was in his room laying on the floor thinking about possible leaks. Immediately he ruled out himself, he was fairly sure it wasn't him. Lili couldn't be a leak, neither could Kat. Ben was dead so it ruled him out fairly easily. Who else then? If it was a lower ranked officer, then it could take awhile to pin him down. Standing up he thought hard, trying to think.

' Maybe I could use a little help on this.' Travis admitted in his mind and began to walk to Lili's room.

Turning into the hallway of the compound he took the left and headed down the hall into the next hall. He counted the third room on the left and knocked on it three times. " Lili?" Travis asked. " You in there?"

Decided to go in he turned the door knob and flung her door open. Lili wasn't in her room, but Travis stepped in and looked around. Lili wasn't a neat freak unlike Travis' wife. Lili had a very disorganized desk that was stacked with papers and other items. Her bed wasn't made and her ground was littered with clothing articles, some interesting ones. " Pink?" Travis asked aloud.

Sitting on her desk chair Travis leaned back as a stack of papers fell on him. Something hard hit him in the head that landed on the ground. Rubbing his head he looked at what hit him and saw that it was a small chest that was unlocked. The chest's contents had spilled across the ground and Travis first saw was a roll of money, and a letter on the ground. Looking at the money, he saw it was a large amount of one hundred dollar bills.

Picking up the letter he read,

' _Good work agent. Thanks to you we know the lyoko resistance's new armor and have already made attempts to penetrate it. Here is your weeks pay for your services, and keep your head low as usual. Try to get the lyoko access codes out of Travis. Be nice, be polite, sweet talk him. Good work again and good luck my daughter._

_Toby Miller, CEA.'_

Travis read it three times and dropped it on the floor. Lili was the leak! Looking at the money and thinking about the last few weeks, it all fit. Lili was being nicer to him.

" Travis?" a voice asked from the door. Travis turned around and pointed a gun at Lili. " Whoa, what's going on?"

" You tell me," Travis said walking closer, gun aimed high.

" Travis what is wrong?" Lili asked again taking a step back.

" Don't move!" Lili froze as Travis began to move faster, soon the gun up against her head. " Get on your knees slowly!"

" Travis?" Travis kicked the back of her legs, making her fall to her knees. " What is with you?"

" I found the money and the thank you note!"

" What the fuck are you talking about?" Lili shouted at him.Lili felt her arms being pulled behind her back and cuffed by the handcuffs Travis always carried around. " Let me go!" Travis dragged her across the room and threw her to the ground next to the money.

" What is this shit!" Travis shouted at her. Lili looked next to her and saw the money.

" How should know?" Lili asked as if she honestly hadn't a clue.

" It was in your room." Lili looked up at him, looking like she had no idea what the hell he was talking about.

" It isn't mine." Travis grabbed the cuffs and dragged her by the wrists. " Where are you taking me!"

" Interrogation. If you won't talk, I'll make you talk."

" I'm not the leak!"

" Yeah, Yeah."

---

Travis dragged her through out the compound then threw her to the floor in the interrogation room. He left for a few minutes locking the door and having a few guards watch her. When he came back in he dropped her chest on the table and the contents spilled all over the table. They spent about twenty minutes counting it. Half a million total.

" Why do you have this?"Travis asked, this much money in one persons room a little suspicious.

" I don't know. It isn't mine." Travis made a gesture to a guard who hit Lili with the butt of a rifle in the head. Lili shouted in pain and shouted, " It isn't mine!" The hit cut the side of her head as a small line of blood ran down her face.

" What are they paying you?" Travis asked.

" Travis stop. It isn't me." Travis made another gesture and watched as Lili was struck again. He actually felt bad from every hit she took. He looked away when they hit her. After an hour of nothing, Travis tipped her chair over, and dragged her across the floor.

" Travis please stop!" Lili begged. Travis picked her up and hung her off a hook, hanging by her handcuffs.

" How long have you been working for them?" Travis asked.

" I don't work for them." Lili said, tears running down her face. Travis was looking at her now. He had never seen Lili cry. She was either a good actor, or telling the truth. " Travis... Please. It isn't me," Lili pleaded, her tears deepening, her voice becoming stressed to speak. Her body was beaten and bruised, and now she was hanging like a piece of meat, the metal of the cuffs cutting her wrists with blood slithering down her arm.

" Please. Trust me." Travis look into her eyes, for any sign of deception. Lili looked scared, confused, and innocent. " Please."

Travis looked at her and began to think of their entire history. She had never shown any sign of being distrustful. Never shown any sign of being anything other than Lyoko. Never shown any sign of being anything other than his friend, and family. Travis looked away and said, " Let her go." The soldiers in the room looked at him stunned.

" Commander?"

" It isn't her, please leave." The soldiers followed their order and left the room. Travis walked over to Lili and grabbed her arms, pulled her cuffs off of the hook. Lili's weak arms fell over his shoulders, as her feet hit the floor.

" I'm sorry." Lili's body was trembling from trying to stand on its own. Her body fell back, but Travis caught her and held her close, her cuffed arms still over his shoulders. " It got you."

" Thank you," Lili mumbled through her tears, and her face in Travis' chest. Slowly Travis lay her on the ground, then uncuffed her, her arms falling back, but Travis still holding her. " Thank you." Travis put his arms under her legs and back and carried her to the infirmary. Travis lay her on a bed and stepped away.

" I'll get you a doctor." Lili grabbed his hand as he turned around, stopping him with what strength she had left.

" No. I want you to treat me." Travis looked at her strangely. " Only you."

" Alright." Travis put blinds around the bed and told her to take her shirt off. After a few painful attempts, Travis had to help her. Under her shirt she was wearing a black tank top, showing her arms were bruised badly. Travis grabbed some type of cream and rubbed it into her arms.

" You'll be sore for awhile, but you'll be fine." Lifting up her shirt only high enough to look at her stomach, he applied the cream there as well. Going to the shelf he pulled out a needle, and checked bottles of medicine. Finding the right one he filled the needle with te fluid and injected into Lili's arm.

" I'll help you sleep and heal fast. You'll be walking again soon."

" Thank you," Lili adjusted some, not much because it hurt, trying to get comfortable. Travis kissed her on her forehead and moved out of the blinds, as Lili closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Travis stepped out of the infirmary to see Odd jr at the door, fully healed and ready to get answers. " I see your awake."

" I am. I thought you said it was bullet proof," Odd jr said, following him.

" They found ways around that. I'm going to lab, come with me."

Odd jr and Travis made their way to the compound and to the elevator to the lab. Travis scanned his retina as the elevator went down.

" We're having a little problem with information right now, so don't be surprised if the base is a little on edge." The elevator opened and Travis stepped out, only to feel the butt of a rifle being drilled into his head.

Odd jr went down in the same fashion, falling next to Travis unconscious. Travis looked up at his attacker and saw the leak, and three CEA soldiers.

" You," Travis said to the woman standing above him.

" I want a divorce dear," Travis' wife said before kicking him unconscious.


	23. Prisoner in my own prison

Travis woke up with his wrists bound. He was tied to a chair that was next to another chair with its own occupant. Odd jr was tied to a chair as well, but hadn't woken up yet. The first thing Travis felt was a giant headache, then the cold feeling of dry blood on his head.

Looking over his shoulder he saw Odd jr and said, " Kid, get up." He shook the chairs a bit and Odd jr slowly opened his eyes.

" Oh my head," Odd jr said, trying to pull his hands up. Looking around, and he asked, " Where am I?"

" Looks like I'm a prisoner in my own interrogation room," Travis said, collecting his thoughts about what happened before he went down. He remembered finding the money in Lili's room, interrogating her, then stepping into the lab. ' I want a divorce dear.' Was what he remembered next.

" Fucking bitch." Travis said when he remember it was his wife.Looking around the room again, he saw someone by handcuffs on the hook he used to hang Lili on during her interrogation. " Kat."

Kat hung there lifelessly, but alive. She seemed to be badly beaten. Bruises and cuts were all over her body. Her head was hanging down, her hair halfway to the floor. Her clothes were stained with blood, as was her hair. Below her was a small puddle of blood that was getting bigger one drop at a time. Travis saw her chest weakly rising and falling from her breathing, so knew she was alive.

" Kat," Travis said again, trying to wake her up.

" Your aunt won't be awake for awhile. We injected her with a fairly powerful sleeping medication," said a female voice sitting at the table where Travis usually sat. Travis turned his head and was looking at his wife. Or exwife by now.

" Now Travis dear, how do you feel?" Travis glared at her as she smiled at him. " Nothing personal, the CEA just has a good dental plan." She said sarcastically.

" How long Amber? A year, two years?"

" Try five years, like our entire marriage." Travis looked at her, then looked down. " It wasn't my assignment to marry you, but it was to get you to trust me. I married and you still didn't trust me. That's your problem, you don't trust anyone." That wasn't true. Travis trusted Amber. She was one of the few people he trusted. As time went on the list of people to trust was getting smaller and smaller. Travis thought she was one of the few. He wasn't the luckiest person in the world. When he trusted someone, he trusted the wrong person.

" What do you want?" Travis asked, figuring he'd ask to get that part over with.

" Simple, the lyoko access codes. Only you know them." Amber said, standing off her chair and walking over to Travis. She straddled him and placed her elbows on his shoulders. " What are they dear?"

" Get the fuck off me," Travis said to her.

" Now now," Amber said, tabbing his nose playfully with her index finger, " No need to be rude. Come on what are they?" Travis just stared at her angry. If he had use of his arms he'd strangle her. Amber stood up, noticing her cute and innocent act wasn't working. " Tell me. Or I'll physical with you."

" Kinky," Travis said jokingly. Amber punched Travis in the face, who began to laugh. " Oh please you punch like a girl." Amber shook her head and walked to the table that had a few items placed on it. One of the items was a pair of brass knuckles that she placed on her hand, then punched Travis again. The blow cut his forehead and sent a small spray of blood against the wall.

" Look my men are in this building, you can't keep this up." Travis said to her as a threat.

" Sorry Travis, but your men don't hold the fort anymore. With you not there to lead them, we took this compound easily. All you have remaining is ten soldiers who lived the battle." Amber threw a few pictures on the table and Travis looked at them. They were head shots of those still alive.

" Where's Lili?" Travis asked, remembering she was helpless.

" She's fine. I just couldn't kill her, she so cute." Amber said walking around his chair. " Now about the codes. Give me a little hint."

" Fine, it very long, and isn't your name," Amber punched him again, but without the brass knuckles. " It's true."

" How many characters?"

" Two hundred and five."

" Your lying. No one could remember that many."

" I don't, but I know the location of the keys, and when to press them. I'm the only person who can access lyoko." Travis said with smile, " My hands are the keys." Amber looked at him for a bluff. He wasn't bluffing.

" Fine then, type in the code, and maybe I'll let them live." Amber said as her negotiation.

" Why should I care about ten strangers?" he said, as a bluff.

" Travis, these people follow your lead without second thought, fight by your side no matter the costs. You care. And remember the entire time there will be a gun to Lili's head." Travis looked away from her.

" Fine." Travis had cracked.

" Good."

------------------------------------------------------------

Five minutes later they were in the lab. They had a gun pointed to Travis' head as he began to type in the extremely long code. It was taking him several minutes of typing as the two hundred and five characters filled the screen. When he finished, he pressed enter as the characters fell off the screen, and lyoko was activated. Travis let out a breath and looked at Amber.

" Happy." Amber hit him with the butt of the gun and Travis fell to the floor.

" Take him to the surface, along with that boy and the girls. Take them away from the base, then shoot them." Travis was forced out of the room and pushed into the elevator. They loaded him, Odd jr, Kat, and Lili into a jeep and drove them two miles away from the compound. They stopped the jeep and threw them to the ground. The man took out a gun and pointed it the four.

" Sorry, just doing my job."

" Well do it somewhere else," Travis said to him. The man ignored him and aimed the gun to Kat's head and pulled the trigger. Kat fell back dead as the soldier aimed it at his next victim.

" You bastard, just do it quick." The man aimed it at Travis next, but before he pulled the trigger, someone else pulled theirs. The soldier took a shot to the shoulder and fell back against the jeep. He put his gun up again, then was shot in the chest. He slid of the jeep, blood smearing the side of the car. " Now what?"

They heard footsteps walking toward them, and Travis stood up with his cuffs and looked behind him. Walking toward them was a lyoko soldier, who seemed injured already. Blood was staining his clothes and he was walking over to them slowly. The soldier was limping with every step, before he stopped in front of Travis.

" Hello sir," he said with a stressed voice.

" Well done private," Travis said in gratitude.

" No problem sir," The man fell to his knees and began to breathe deep. " I can die knowing I served you well." The soldier fell to his back, as Travis kneeled next to him. " It was an honor."

" Like wise." The man smiled at Travis, before he died. Travis stood up and looked at the others. " Missed Kat by seconds." Kat was dead, and not coming back. Travis didn't let it effect him, he was used to goodbyes. Walking over to the dead CEA soldier he took the handcuff's keys and uncuffed himself then the others.

" We need to hurry." Travis said the grabbed the keys to the jeep and took the drivers seat.

The three took the jeep and Travis drove back to the compound, putting the hood of the jeep down so they didn't know it was him. A CEA soldier was guarding the gates to the garage to the compound and Travis applied a silencer on his pistol and pulled up to him.

" How was killing Travis..." He didn't getting to finish the question before Travis sent a bullet through his head and kept driving. Pulling into a parking slot he looked around, then exited the car.

Ducking down below cars, he helped Lili through the parking lot until they reached a door that led into the compound. " Where are we going?" She asked him.

" Armory. We need to get our boys armed and ready. Were taking back the fort."


	24. Today

Travis, Odd jr, and Lili made their way through the compound unseen. CEA soldiers were placed all around the base, guarding the halls and doors. Travis took the lead, making his way, followed by Lili who was being helped to walk by Odd jr.

Looking around the corner carefully Travis saw two guards down the hall, one facing him, the other facing the guard. The two were talking, then one walked away. Taking out the gun he stole from the soldier who killed Kat, Travis climbed up and into the rafters above and crawled over the guard. Hanging down he knocked him out then dropped down.

Odd jr carried Lili over to the next room as Travis dragged the soldier into another. Looking out the hall they proceeded and turned into another hallway. No guards were seen as Travis and his group made their way through. Turning into the stairs they continued up to the second floor were the armory was located.

Stepping into the second floor hallway Travis walked to a door with a large lock on it.

Looking at the lock Travis looked at Lili and asked, " You wouldn't happen to have a key bomb would you?" Lili reached on the belt that she was wearing an took off a small black strip of a paper like material. Travis took it, stuck it into the key hole, and took a step back. The paper exploded in the lock that was blown open. Travis took the lock off and opened the armory.

Stepping into a room that had shelves and walls filled with weapons, Travis looked at the first row of pistols. The room stank of strong gun powder, making it feel as if lighting a match wasn't a wise thing to do. Picking up the first pistol he checked it for ammo, then shoved it back into the gun and cocked it back. Putting the gun in on of the six holders on his waist he filled his cartridge holders with ammo and filled the other five gun slots.

Picking up a bag from the table in the center of the room, Lili and Odd jr began to fill the bag with a variety of weapons as Travis began to find his favorite shotgun. Loading the guns and taking a second bag with ammo, they filled the bags with, assault rifles, pistols, a few shotguns, and a sniper. Taking the ammo for the weapon Odd jr lifted the bag over his shoulder and almost fell.

" You got it?" Travis asked as he place the other bag over his shoulder. Odd jr nodded and began to adjust the bag in a more comfortable position.

" I can't walk by myself Travis," Lili said to him, laying down against the table in the room. Travis looked around the room then opened up a cabinet filled with medical supplies. Pulling out a syringe he filled the needle with a liquid in a small glass container. Walking over to Lili he pulled the cover off the syringe and then stabbed it into Lili's left thigh, injecting it into her.

" What did you just shoot me with?" Lili asked after he pulled the needle out.

" A dose of adrenaline. It'll help you heal, that's why your even in this good of state. I injected that with a sleeping medicine earlier. You'll have enough strength to walk in a few moments."

Lili sat there for about ten seconds before she moved her foot. Her legs were regaining strength as she slowly rose to her feet, using the table for balance. " Let's move."

-------

Travis led the two through the corridors of the compound. Seeing a guard turning into the hallway, the three ducked into a room and waited for him to walk by. When he did Travis pulled him into the room and held one of his six pistols to the soldiers head.

" Where are the lyoko soldiers being held?" Travis asked the scared guard who had just started this job.

" Basement. They're going to execute them soon," The soldier said quickly, not in the mood for dying. Travis hit him with the butt of the gun and concealed his body in the room. Continuing to the elevator they pressed basement as Travis disconnected the camera in the elevator. Travis handed Lili a gun who took it and readied it for when the doors opened. The three moved to the sides of the elevators as the doors opened.

The elevator was bombarded with gunfire as two lyoko soldiers ran in with their guns up. Travis pointed the gun at them, they pointed their guns at him. At the same time they lowered their weapons. " Commander Stern." One of the men said.

" Sargent Davis and Powel, I'll be damned." Travis said greeting two of his best officers. " What's the situation with the other soldiers?"

" Alive. We need explosives to get into where they're being held. We were going to the armory to get some." Travis opened the bag on his shoulder and threw Sargent Davis, the tall handsome one with short hair a set of explosives.

" Nice to know your always a step ahead." The five ran to the steel door that the soldiers where being held in as they stepped away from the door.

Lili and Davis set the explosives, them being experts in that field. They hid in the next hall as Lili hit the detonator, blowing the doors hinges off. The door made a loud creaky noise as it fell down and slammed to the floor with a solid thud. The soldiers stepped out of the room as they all stood around Travis. The handed the weaponry out, as Travis readied them.

---

Travis looked at his soldiers. Some had only been with him for a few months, others a few years. Others have been with him since the lyoko resistance was created. His loyal troops who had fought by his side, never retreated. They spent every moment in the this hell with him. They were all that was left. Travis, Lili, Odd jr, the sargents, and ten soldiers were the last wall of defence to end this once and for all.

" I look at you people, and do you know what I see?" Travis asked his men. None answered. " I see fear. You know that when the doors open there is no guaranty that your coming back alive. Soldiers of the lyoko resistance, we have walked through that door every day since CEA took control. When you go outside there is no guaranty you'll finish the cigarette, no guaranty that you'll come back from patrol." The soldiers looked at him, and waited for him to continue.

" Do you know why we fight. This is not a rhetorical question, why do we fight? For peace? For protection? To better out own status? Every day I wake up and wonder why the fuck I don't just shoot myself right now. We all are here for different reasons, but for the same purpose. To be honest, it's a very simple purpose. We just want the CEA to fall. To crumble and burn in hell. So men I ask you, why are you here, I know the purpose, what is the reason. My reason is that my family has been fighting this bastard for three generations. My grandmother and my grandfather, have died because of him. My mother and my father as well. I want revenge, any in the revenge boat with me?"

Every soldier raise their hands. " Who did you lose?"

" My mother." Said a soldier. " My father." said a another. " My entire family. My friends. Everyone."

" Then right now. Embrace that fear, and fight. If we fall here today, we fall in a way worthy of remembrance. If lyoko dies today, we go down fighting. All who wish to leave now, do so." Every soldier looked at him, not moving, waiting for an order.

" For every day we've been running and hiding, and fighting. We've never started the fights, nor have we really ever won one. Today we start the fight! Today we fight back. Today... we win!"


	25. See you on the other side

As what the CEA called him, dictator and military leader Toby Miller stepped into the central room of the base. When the building was a office building, it was the reception area for guest. Odd Della Robbia owned that building, before he was killed, the company going to his second son Charlie. His older brother Odd jr was lost sector six being sent to an unknown point of time. Charlie later died, being shot by Toby Miller himself in the back. Charlie saved Lili Miller from her father, where she was trained and taken care of by her grandmother on her mothers side. Her cousin Travis was trained with her.

Travis and Lili would spar everyday for their training, their grandmother Yumi Stern watching over them, teaching them what she knew. For five years they trained, and went underground to escape Millers attempts to finish what he started. It started when he Travis's father was killed not by Toby Miller, but by Xana before he began to act as Toby Miller. Travis developed in a incubator after xana's failed attempt to kill her while she was pregnant. Travis was raised by his grandmother on his mothers side, who was also killed my Toby Miller.

After five years of training, hiding, running and the occasional fight with Miller's patrols, Yumi Stern was buried. When the war started, they began to rebuild the lab, in hope to hack into Carthage, a computer program that gave Toby the world on a silver platter. During the reconstruction of the scanners, Yumi lifted a piece of equipment, far to heavy for someone her age to lift, her being almost seventy at the time. What she dropped landed on an unstable piece of equipment that exploded. She was dead before the explosion, dying of a heart attack. The blast took Travis' left hand.

A year later, the system was back together, and the war was over. CEA had won. They made their capital in France to monitor Carthage. Travis however hadn't given up. He wanted revenge for everything that Toby Miller had done to him. Bringing people together, he formed a resistance group against the CEA. When he had two hundred people, the CEA got nervous, and sent a small army to destroy them.

The city was evacuated before the battle, which was lucky because the city was turned into ruins, lyoko putting up more of a fight than expected. Leaving the city, lyoko claimed the ruins as their base of operations.

Ten years later, Odd jr arrived coming back through sector six. When he sent him, xana was fairly certain he was sending to a place that couldn't receive him, and he'd be forever lost within the computer. Odd jr came out and the next day was shot. Travis meet and killed a relative in the same day and then found out his wife was a double agent. And now his base was under enemy control. And in about ten seconds, he going to claim it back.

------

Toby Miller stepped into the grand hall of the lyoko military compound. Toby Miller, an old man now was still walking easy, and didn't look as old as he was. Medical science had worked wonders for him. He was nearly sixty, but felt and looked thirty. The compound was three floors, and had four elevators. Three of the elevators formed a triangle and gave access to all floors, except one. The elevator in the center of the compound led to one room. The lab.

Walking toward the elevator he was smiling when he saw Amber standing next to it. Stopping in front of her, he looked at her for a moment then hugged her.

" Well done Amber. Who ever thought I'd be proud to call a seductive slut like you my daughter."

" Thank you father. I've already activated lyoko for you. Now we can get this underway."

Amber said with a smile stepping into the elevator. " I've already set it to accept our retina."

" Did you set it not to accept the lyoko generals."

" Not necessary. I've already dealt with them." Toby Miller looked at his second daughter he had from cheating on Lili's mother.

" Are you sure they're dead. Did you see them fall and not get up?" Amber tried to think of the best thing to say. What if they were still alive.

" No." Toby slapped Amber then stepped into the elevator.

" You fool. They have cheated death more than once. What makes you think one of your soldiers who could handle Travis even if he's bound. You of all people should know what's he's capable of." Amber rubbed her face then stepped away from her father.

" If he was still alive, he'd of done something by now." As if on cue the large doors to the room where blown open with explosives. Several smoke grenades were thrown in as every soldier tried to see what was happening.

" Shit," Amber said aloud then ran into the elevator.

Travis and his soldiers charged the room with heat goggles and began to open fire. Toby Miller ran his retina as the elevator door closed and began to the lab. The CEA soldiers fired wildly as Travis rushed a guard, shooting him down with his shotgun. Pumping it he fired again. Firing, and pumping, firing and pumping he shot every soldier he saw. Firing his last shell, he pulled two pistols and began to fire at the soldiers on the second floor balcony.

Taking a shot the leg Travis went down as Lili and Sargent Davis covered him. " I'm fine." He said, standing up, continuing to fire. The smoke was beginning to clear as the soldiers began to find cover against the large amount of CEA soldiers. A soldier went down, then another.

" Get to cover!" Travis shouted as he ducked behind a large wooden box. Three more went down and one was hit and began to crawl into cover. Odd jr ran into the fray and dragged the soldier behind a pillar that wasn't that good for cover, but better than being a sitting duck.

Travis saw that he snipers on the top floor were taking the soldiers out. Seeing the soldier he gave the sniper to he called him over as he began to run to Travis. Taking a head shot he fell with a gun in the center of the floor.

" Dammit. Rest in peace." Sargent Powel, a large black man ran into the floor and scooped the gun up, everyone left providing cover. Diving over the box he crawled next to Travis, Lili and Davis. Handing the gun to Travis he began to fire back at the snipers, though they were protected fairly well.

Travis readied the sniper then quickly aimed and fired hitting one of the snipers square between the eyes. Putting his head back down he readied the next round. Signaling to Odd jr, who nodded and began to fire at the snipers. Getting their attention Travis fired the next sniper who was hit the chest, alive, but barely breathing. Taking the final shot, he fired and the bullet sent through the snipers scope, hitting him in the eye and through his head.

CEA reenforcements arrived from all entrances and balconies as the battle continued. Odd jr began to drag the soldier into cover before the soldier was shot. Leaving the body he ran into better cover, bullets all around him barely missing. Taking a few deep breaths he picked up a loaded gun on the floor and poked out of hiding, taking down three soldiers before returning to hiding.

Only two lyoko were left besides the generals and sargents now as Travis thought of something. " The lab! We need to get to the lab!" Travis shouted to everyone.

" The elevator is down!" Lili shouted back, poking her head over and shooting some before ducking back down. " We'll get slaughtered!"

" Better running than hiding!" Travis shouted again. Speaking into the radio he said, " Everyone who's left, when the elevator is up, get in. Provide cover on three." Everyone spoke back they understood. Travis readied himself for this suicidal tasks.

" One," Everyone readied their guns. " Two," Lili began to sweat, hoping he'd come back alive. " THREE."

Travis broke out of the hiding and ran toward the shaft pistols up. Everyone came out of hiding and provided cover as Travis made a mad dash, even with his leg.

Lili's aim was never better as she fired down the shoulders, one round for each. Taking a shot to the shoulder Lili fell back as Davis looked down at her.

" Cover Travis!" Davis nodded and continued to guard Travis, who still had ten yards to go. Travis aimed his guns and shot at the screws holding up a screen to the vents. Travis reached the end and dove, still firing as the screen broke off and fell down. Travis slid on his stomach into the shaft as the bullet hits the end of it. Taking a few deep breaths be crawled into the shaft and found a hidden control panel. Pressing up, the elevator was on it's way.

" It's coming, get ready to run," Travis said crawling back. He heard the sound of metal on metal, only to see a grenade rolling toward him.

" Fuck!" Travis grabbed the grenade and throw it the other way. The grenade got ten feet before it exploded, Travis, covering his head.

Lili saw the explosion and screamed, " TRAVIS!" Lili grabbed her guns and ran toward the shaft.

" Lili!" Everyone shouted at her. " Shit cover her!" Everyone covered again as Lili made her way to Travis who's condition was unknown. Diving into the smoking vent she shouted his name.

" Travis!" Lili crawled through the smoke till she reached his hand. Pulling out a item from her belt she pulled the pin as it began to suck the smoke in. She saw Travis was on his stomach, still conscious, but hurt.

" How bad?" She asked, needed to know if he was going to die or actually still had a shot.

" I'm fine," Travis groaned as they heard the elevator dock. Everyone began to run for the elevator as the gunfire still rained down on them. Lili dragged Travis in the elevator from a hatch next to the vent as everyone got closer. The lat two soldiers went down as everyone else kept running. Odd jr took a bullet the leg and went down.

Sargent Davis ran in the fray and helped him up and began to crutch him to the doors. When he was almost there, a bullet hit him in the head as he fell back and Odd jr fell forward into the elevator.

The doors closed as Travis lowered his head and said, " Goodbye Davis, you were one of the few I trusted."

----

The elevator started down as Travis looked at who was still standing. Odd Jr, Lili, and Powel. Lili was shot in the shoulder, Odd jr in the leg, Powel seemed unharmed, and Travis himself had a leg wound and had a grenade blow up ten feet away from him. Him arm was bleeding, as was his forehead. Travis took off his armor then looked at it. Several shots were stopped by Lili's and Kat's latest design. Even in the grave Kat was still there.

" Get ready," Travis said when the elevator began to slow down.

The door open and all four readied their guns. Travis stepped into the lab first and aimed around the room. Signaling for them to move in Travis spun around, getting a three sixty looked of the room. Turning once more he felt cold steal on his head.

" Shit," Travis said aloud.

" Hello dear." Amber said to him. " Still alive are we?" Lili aimed her gun at Amber as she kept her gun on Travis. " Back off sis, I'll shoot him."

" I'm not your sister," Lili said to her.

" Please. Our father was cheating on your mother for most of their marriage. Your mother was nothing more than a clueless whore." Lili fired as the bullet hit Amber's ear. Letting the gun down Travis grabbed her wrist and sent his knee into her gut. Travis elbowed her in the back and she fell to the floor.

" Nice shot," Travis said to her.

" Nice, I missed." Travis smiled then began to walk to the computer, after kicking Amber once just to get it out of his system. Sitting on the chair Travis read on the screen, ' Departure code reencrypted, sector six fully operational.' Reading another alert he read, ' Project life complete.'

" What the hell is project life?" Travis asked to no one in particular.

" It's what keeps me young Travis." Said a voice at the scanner ladder entrance. Everyone aimed their guns and saw Toby Miller, but it wasn't him. Toby looked at least ten years younger and much healthier.

" I take a few people, shove them in the scanner, drain their life force and add it mine." Travis aimed his gun and was about to fired before Amber did. Travis hit the ground as Lili unloaded a full clip into Amber. Toby Miller dropped back down as Lili ran to Travis.

" Where are you hit?" Lili asked Travis.

" Lower back. Fucking bitch." The sound of the elevator stalling made Travis look at the elevator. He had applied the locks before leaving it, but the locks weren't going to hold for very long.

" Odd, Powel, Lili, go after him. I'll go up and buy as much time as possible."

" Travis no." Lili said to him.

" It's all we have Lili. We can finish this here and now." Lili looked at him, as she tried to stop his bleeding.

" Go. Get me to the elevator first." Lili cried a few tears then helped him up. Half walking half dragging him to the elevator. " Close the door. When the locks break is when this starts." Lili pressed the door, and didn't exit the elevator. The locks broke as the room began to shake, then glided up. " I gave you an order."

Lili took a step toward him then said, " Fuck you and your orders." Travis laughed silently as Lili got closer. " I need to tell you something before we do this."

" You love me." Travis said to her. Lili looked at him. ' Kat.'

" Did Kat tell you?"

" No. What else could you possible say to me before our dying moments. Your very cliche you know that." Lili smiled then leaned her head in. Lili kissed him, and Travis actually kissed back.

" Do you love me?" Lili asked him. Travis knew his answer, so said it.

" No." Lili wasn't expecting that answer.

" You're a bastard. I'm about to die and you don't give me good news to die with."

" Would you expect anything less from me?" Travis asked her. Lili shook her head. " Then shut up." Travis pulled two pistols out then saw that his ammo clips were out. " How much ammo you got?"

" Not much. Just this," She said holding up the empty pistol. Travis handed her his two last pistol then readied his. " How we doing this? Hide in here and fire under cover."

" We aren't going to live this. I don't know about you, but I'm going out in the center of that room with a smile." Lili giggled then stopped when the elevator stopped.

" One more, please." Travis didn't ask for what she need one more of, he just kissed her deeply. Then he placed something on the ground of the elevator.

" Ready?"

" No."

The doors opened and they both ran out, pistols up and firing. Running sideways Travis shot to the left and Lili shot the right then they stopped in the room as they stood back to back firing. Travis used his rounds carefully, shooting easy targets in the open. Lili fired her first gun out of ammo then through it to the ground as she fired the last one. Travis took another shot to the leg as he fell to a knee and kept firing. Taking two to the chest he fell to this back still clutching his gun in his hand firm. Lili dropped a second later, spinning as she fell to her bloody chest where she was hit.

The gunfire ceased as Travis and Lili lay there. Travis rolled his head over and looked at Lili who was looking at him. " Travis," Lili groaned as she reached for him. Travis dropped his gun and grabbed her hand.

" I love you." Travis smiled, then noticed he wasn't as much of an ass as he thought her was.

" Lili," Travis began, his breath fading. " I love you."

" Liar," Lili said with a laugh. They were going to go any second.

" See you on the other side," Travis said to her as they both couldn't keep their eyes open anymore. Then at the same exact time. They died.


	26. How far back?

Travis and Lili lay there in the center of the hall dead. A small pool of blood was around their bodies. Travis' right hand was clasps to Lili's lift, as Lili's left was to his right. Holding each other. Travis' had died the way he promised, with a smile. Toby Miller had finally killed the last two people from the hunt fifteen years ago.

Toby Miller's second in command, a short man named Robert Kendel stepped closer to their bodies carefully. Nudging Travis' corpse confirming him dead. After he nudged Lili's he saw she was dead, and to be safe, shot Travis in the head.

" Stop!" A soldier said to him. " They're dead."

" Travis is known for deception in battle." Then he shot Lili, " Lili is no better." The soldier looked at his commanding officer.

" Have some respect for the dead. It isn't right." Robert aimed the gun at the soldier and looked at him for a good second before he shot him.

" I only respect the living, " he said stepping over the soldiers body. Robert kicked Travis' and Lili's hands apart then moved toward the elevator.

" Regiment nine, report to the elevator." Ten of the most official and professional looking soldiers boarded the elevator a few moments later. " Regiments ten through thirty, secure the base, look for other lyoko rebels." The hall cleared as Travis and Lili were left on the floor with their friend from another army.

The elevator closed then began to proceed to the lab. All of the men stood ready, weapons locked and loaded and ready for combat. Robert began to give small orders to his men before the elevator arrived. He stopped talking and was about to begin again before he heard a muffled noise.

" What is that sound?" Every soldier looked around the elevator as one found the source. Dropping a bag in front of him Robert opened it as the beeping was no longer muffled. He looked at a red colored digital clock. "Five...Four...Three...Two..."

" Fuck me," was all he could say before the elevator erupted in flames. The elevator shaft was engulfed in flames that erupted at the surface. The flames melted the cables and the elevator fell to the bottom of the shaft. Falling several stories, the elevator crashed to the bottom, survivor count, zero. Travis' parting gift. Where ever Travis was, he was laughing.

---

Odd Jr and Sargent Powel continued to climb down the ladder to the scanner room when the room began to shake. They both held and waited for the shaking to stop. Hearing a loud explosion, the room began to shake harder for a few seconds before everything was motionless again.

" What the hell was that?" Odd jr asked, looking up at Powel.

" Travis went out with a bang, keep going." Odd kept climbing till he was only a few feet from the ground. Dropping down he landed on his feet and aimed his gun into the scanner room. Powel dropped down a second later and began to look around the room as well.

" He could be anywhere." The next thing he heard was a gun shot and then he own body hit the ground. Odd jr spun around and saw Toby and was about to fire before his gun was shot out of his hand. Shouting in pain Odd jr fell back and hit a scanner that was closed.

" I thought I sent you to death. I was wrong." Toby said. His gun was up, he was going to fire and send it through his head. Pressing a switch on the gun the ammo fell out and shot the last one in the chamber away from Odd.

" I'll kill you with my bare hands." Toby stood in a defensive stance and Odd jr stood ready. Placing his hands up Odd jr readied for attack.

" Fine, I'll start." Toby ran at him and swung high. Odd jr ducked and jabbed low, Toby caught the punch and countering to his face.

Odd jr fell back against the scanner. Toby smiled and took a step away, in a different stance. Odd jr attacked first and swung again, Toby spinning away from the blow and kicked Odd jr in his back causing him to head butt the wall.

" There is more to fighting than knowing how to fight. Skill is nothing without experience to back it." Odd jr ignored him and swung. Toby blocked the punch and Odd jr swung with his other hand. Catching it with his arm, Toby countered with a blow to Odd jr's stomach, then his face. Placing his foot behind Odd jr he elbowed him to the floor and took a step away.

Standing up Odd jr looked at Toby, waiting for him to attack. Toby didn't mind starting so moved in fast. Swinging low, Odd jr blocked it and then blocked the high punch that followed. Catching his right fist, then the left, they're arms where crossed and Odd jr pulled him in and head butted him. Toby fell back against the scanner as Odd jr sent his fist into his stomach three times. Grabbing his collar he began to beat his face. He cocked back for the forth face shot as Toby moved his head and Odd jr hit the metal of the scanner.

Odd jr shouted as Toby took advantage of his vulnerability a punch him in the stomach, then upper cutted him in the face. Odd jr hit the ground hard and looked up to Toby.

" Xi didn't even put up a fight against me. What makes you think you can." Odd jr rolled back and kicked himself up, for a moment surprised he could do that. Wiping the blood off his lip he looked at Toby and then changed his stance from boxing, to another.

" Pencak Silat. You make Xi proud." Odd jr waited for him to attack. Pencak Silat concentrated on countering and defense. Waiting for your opponent to strike first.

Then he began to clear his mind, watch his enemy, focus his thoughts. A sound mind in a sound body was the key fundamental of this style. Toby watched him, and smiled.

" I'll start." Odd jr closed his eyes as Toby charged. Hearing his footsteps, his heartbeat, everything in this room was passing through Odd jr's ears. Hearing an arm cock back he heard the wind go by as he moved his head to the left and spun around Toby. Toby back handed, but missed because Odd jr slid under his arm.

Odd r opened his eyes and kicked Toby in the stomach, placing one hand on the ground for leverage. Pushing himself up he punched him in the chest then the stomach again. Toby swung back and Odd jr ducked and back handed him in the face, then hooked with the same fist. Switching hands he gave him another hook, then punch him with both fists at the same time. Toby fell back on the scanner as Odd jr waited.

" Not bad you little shit." Toby said with a laugh. " I'll stop toying with you." Toby walked back a swung high. Odd jr blocked it, then the low hit, but didn't expect both arms to go back and felt a foot to his face.

Spinning as he fell, Odd jr rolled as he hit the ground , stopping on his right side. Odd jr tried to stand but Toby place his foot down on Odd jr's back, pushing him down. Stomping on his back Odd jr grunted in pain and Toby did it again. Rolling him over with his foot he stomped on his stomach. Kicking him in the ribs a few times he saw a gun on the ground and kicked Odd jr in the face as he walked by.

The kicked cut the Odd jr's forehead as blood began to stream down his face. Toby picked up the gun and aimed it at Odd jr. " Same as Xi." He was about to pull the trigger as someone else pulled theirs.

Toby fell forward and hit the closed doors of a scanner. Turning around he saw Sargent Powel standing with his gun at the ready, smoke still spilling out of the chamber, the shell on the ground. Toby dropped his gun as blood began to soak the back of his shirt. Everything was becoming blurry, as he began to breathe strangely.

" Scanner open." The door behind him opened as he fell into the scanner that closed behind him. ' Countdown to transfer, three minutes.' Powel walked across the room to Odd jr and helped him up as they looked at the scanner.

" Where is he going?" Powel asked. Odd jr limped over to the scanner and read something on a screen next to it. ' Transfer, subject Xana, departure October tenth two thousand sixty nine, arrival, April fifth two thousand thirty nine. Mode of transport, sector six.' As Travis had told Odd jr, that was the day Angela was shot.

" He's going to kill Travis before he's even born." Powel read it as well. " We need to open the scanner."

" Impossible. The doors are solid steel, we couldn't get it open with a bomb." Odd jr looked around the room and found a metal pole on the ground. Picking it up he began to hit it against the scanner. " It's pointless."

" Fuck you! I'm not going to do nothing. I'm not going to let him win." Odd jr said, then began to slam the pole against the scanner again. Powel watch as Odd desperately hit against the scanner. Hitting for the twentieth time he saw a piece began to fall off. Placing the pole in the small indent he used the leverage and pushed.

" Help me." Odd jr said to Powel. Powel nodded and began to push as Odd jr pulled it back. Then they both heard a bad noise. The noise of gun loading. Then they heard machine guns go off as they fell to the floor, taking the piece of the scanner with them. Hitting the floor, Powel dead before doing so, Odd jr looked up at his attackers, three soldiers who scaled down the shaft after the explosion. Odd jr watched as a pistol was pointed at him, then heard a loud bang, then nothing. Odd jr was dead.

" Good work. Miller is on his way." Said a woman climbing down the ladder. This woman was a computer expert and was walking over to her leaders scanner. Reading the info she saw something shocking. ' Not contained.' and ' Twenty seconds to fix the problem.'

" Not contained. Oh shit." She said in a horrified manner.

" What's wrong," A soldier asked.

" The sector six time travel is no longer isolated to the scanner. The world will go back."

" How far?" The man asked, not fully grasping what she was saying.

" Till all the energy in the system is drained." ' Ten seconds.' " It could be a day, a year, a decade. Who knows." ' Five seconds.' Looking at the item on the ground she saw the shielding piece Odd and Powel knocked off.

" You bastards." ' One.'

The time reversal started, and the machine began to overload. The white light covered more than just Toby's body, it covered everything. The blinding white light shined out and began to spread around the world. Passing the compound, past Europe, past North America. The entire planet was engulfed in white light. Slowly, everything stopped, even the earths rotation.

As soon as it stopped, it began to spin the opposite way. Rewinding everything. Odd jr was up before getting shot, Travis and Lili's suicide run backed up. Odd jr was shot at the skirmish as the past rewound. Charlie was up from the shot, Angela was on the chair before getting killed. Time kept going back.

Angela woke up and saw Travis, Travis ran away from school. Times revision was slowing. Angela stood up from being shot, Odd senior was fighting with Xana, Angela found out she was pregnant. It was getting slower. Angela found out Xi had been shot, and Xi said, " Fuck you," before Xana shot him. Then the globe stopped again, as everything started to move forward.


	27. What the fuck?

Odd jr woke up where he remembered falling asleep. The sun was already down, and the light from the full moon outside was bleeding through the blinds of the dorm room window. Feeling warmth around him he look at the figure wrapped around him who he was also wrapped around.

Kissing the shoulder of the woman next to him she began to make moaning sounds like she was waking up. Her shirtless back was vulnerable to his lips as he continued to kiss her body.

" I'm awake Odd." The red haired woman said. Odd jr ignored her and continued to kiss her back and shoulders. The woman rolled over and faced him. " Try my lips."

Odd jr began to kiss her as they both lay there. Looking at her alarm clock he saw that it was a little late and that he should be heading home.

" I should be going home." Odd jr said to her, about to lay up. The woman grabbed him and pushed his chest back to her bed.

" You don't have to. Just call home, Angela is sleeping with Xi tonight, tomorrow is his birthday." The woman said, really wanting him to stay.

" Alright Carla you win." Carla smiled then kissed him again. They had taken a nap earlier in the day because they were tired. They were well rested now, the door was locked, time to have fun. Beginning to kiss her again, Odd jr finally noticed something.

' WHAT THE FUCK!' He shouted in his mind, practically jumping off her bed. ' I was just, I was, what the hell is going on?' Odd jr looked around the room frantically, forgetting he was naked.

" Oh, teasing me aren't we. I'll play along." Carla said, looking at him with a smile. Odd jr looked around the room and then grabbed his clothes off the floor and quickly pulled them on. " Odd?"

" What day is it?" Odd jr asked her. Carla looked at him curiously.

" Is this a joke setup?"

" What day is it?" He shouted at her, he wasn't joking.

" The fourteenth of February, two thousand thirty nine if you want to know the year." Odd jr grabbed his shoes and bursted out the door. " Odd?"

Odd jr ran down the hall of Kadic putting on his left shoe as he ran. He didn't know why he was here, but he was reliving the day Xi was killed, and now he knew what he had to do. He had to save him. Change history again, this time Xi was being saved instead of being the savior.

Odd jr reached the stairs and continued to run, bursting out the dormitories he ran across the empty courtyard and pulled his keys out. The gate was locked so he hopped the fence, unlocked his car, drove out of the parking lot, and began to pray he'd make.

Xi was walking through an alley when he heard a noise behind him. Turning around he asked, " Hello?" An unknown stranger walked out of the intersecting alley and looked at Xi. The man had a frightening grin on his face that made Xi take a step back. " Can I help you?"

" Yes Xi, you can." The man answered.

" How do you know my name?" Xi asked, taking another step back, his palms getting sweaty, ready to protect himself.

" It's only been three years, you don't recognize me?" The man said to Xi stepping closer. " Well this is a new body, I'll give you a hint." The man picked up a rock from the ground and began to scratch it onto the wall. He made a small circle that he shaded in, then made a circle around that circle. Making a larger circle he added a line on top and then three lines on the bottom. The man stepped away from the wall as Xi saw the eye of xana.

" No," was all he could say, as Xana looked at him with the same smile he did when he tried to kill Xi's family and friends three years ago.

" That's right Xi, I'm back. And I'm going to kill you."

Xi ran to the alley next to him and Xana ran after him. Throwing the rock he scratched the wall at Xi, and hit his calf sending him to the ground. It took a second to recover before he stood up and kept running. He got ten feet before Xana grabbed the back of his shirt and flung him into several trash cans. Xana grabbed Xi by his collar then threw him against the wall of the building, Xi dropping to the ground back first.

Trying to crawl away, Xana placed his foot on his back and pushed his chest to the ground. Flipping Xi over with his foot, he stomped on his stomach, making Xi cough violently and roll over to the side. Xana kicked Xi in the back several times as bruises were beginning to show. Kicking him in his ribs, he kept kicking tell Xi felt on of his ribs get knocked out of place. Xana knelt next to him and began to beat his face, cutting his face in several places.

Pulling Xi against a wall in the alley he took out a gun and aimed placed it under Xi's chin. " Head or the chest?" Xi at this point was bruised, broken, and confused.

" Your dead," Xi managed to say to him. " We deleted you and destroyed the lab."

" About that. When you kill someone, make sure they're dead before you bury them. Now head or chest." Xi spat blood into his face, making Xana hit him with the butt of his pistol. " I'll do the chest so you can still have on open casket funeral. Last words?"

" Fuck you," Xi said unenthusiastically. Xana smiled and was about to pull the trigger, before he heard something that sounded like a car driving very fast. Looking at the corner of his eye, he saw that it was.

Aiming at the car he fired, the windshield getting hit. The driver kept going and Xana was hit and drilled into the wall. Xi watched as Xana lay on the hood of the car with his legs and lower abdomen crushed between the car and the wall. Steam was pouring out of the car as the front door opened. The driver pushed the airbag back and crutched himself with the roof of his car.

" Xi," Odd jr said to his friend and he limped over, his head cut from the crash.

" You and your timings huh?" Xi said with the best smile he could at the moment. Xi looked at the car and flames spark from the engine. " Time to go." Odd jr turned around and saw it as well.

" Oh shit!" Odd jr crutched Xi as they began to move out of the alley. A few moments later the car exploded, finishing off what was left of Xana's new body. Toby Millers body. The blast knocked Xi and Odd jr to the ground as parts of the car landed all around them. Odd jr looked back at his car and sighed.

" I liked that car."

---

Angela ran into the hospital after receiving a call from Xi's mother. Dashing to the information desk she asked, " What room is Xi Stern in?" The man at the desk began to type in a few things before he looked back at her. He gave her the room number after asking her why she was visiting.

Angela boarded the elevator and was heading to the fourth floor. The elevator opened as she bolted out and round the corner. Passing Xi's room she stopped, almost falling then ran in.

Xi was laying in a hospital bed with a large white bandage wrapped around his stomach and had had several small bandages on his face. His face was bruised badly as was the rest of his body. He was awake an talking to Odd jr who had brought him here.

" Xi!" She exclaimed when she saw him in this state. " What happened to you?" She said with a small tear running down her face. Xi looked at Odd jr, who nodded.

" Xana happened to me. He was still alive." Angela looked at him, hoping he was joking. " He's dead now. Odd blew him up with his car." Angela looked at Odd jr. He had sacrificed his car. He loved his car.

" Xi," said a voice from the door. They all turned and saw Keiko. " I knew I should of driven you back to campus."

" It wouldn't of mattered. Xana did this." Keiko dropped her purse as he told her what had happened.

A few hours later Ulrich, Yumi, Jeremie, Aelita, Emilie, Kat, Charlie, Sissi, and Odd senior were around his bed as he told them that Xana was dead for sure this time. Odd jr didn't tell them what he had gone through. What he had done. They were thinking this was bad, but Odd jr kept it from getting worse. Then he realized something he had to change as well.

Xana was Lili's father. Or Toby Miller was. Xana had drained him, but he was probably still in the computer. While everyone was talking Odd jr and his mother slipped away and headed for the lab.


	28. I promise

Odd jr and Sissi made their way through the sewer with a flashlight, trying to find something. Sissi had no idea what they were doing, but after she heard that Xana was still alive, she knew the lab had to of survived.

" Where is it?" Sissi asked her son while he shined his light on the walls.

" Around her somewhere. The blast had to of blown open a hole in the sewer," Odd jr said to his mother. He knew a hole had been blown open, he just didn't want people to think he already knew too much.

" There it is!" Odd jr found a decently large hole in the wall of the sewer so walked over to it and shined the flashlight in it. Seeing torn wires and machinery he stepped inside and shined the light around the room. It was the core. Or what was left of it. Most of the machine was damaged, but when he moved closer he heard it humming alive. The computer was still running.

" Holy shit," Sissi said stepping into the room.

" We need to get to the lab," Odd jr said looking for the elevator shaft. He found the door, one half of it still closed, the other blown off and into the shaft. Shining the light up the shaft he saw that the elevator was below him, so didn't have to worry about it falling on him. Seeing the cable still hanging, Odd grabbed it and began to climb up.

" Whoa, you don't expect your mother to climb that do you?" Sissi said, knowing she probably couldn't.

" Yes. You can work the computer, I can't," Odd jr said, something that made him less useful in his first adventure.

" Why didn't you bring Jeremie or Emilie?" ' Wait? Why didn't I?' Odd jr asked himself.

" Just climb."

Sissi looked up the shaft and groaned. She knew she had to. Grabbing the cable she began to climb after him. Odd climbed a few floors before he saw the opening to the scanner room.

" Short cut." Placing his foot on the edge he climbed into the room and then waited from his mother. Helping her in the room he walked through the room and found the last remaining scanner. The implosion and destroyed two, leaving one very dirty and slightly bruised. Seeing it was closed he began to pry it open.

His arms were strong, so he did it with ease. The doors were pulled open as Sissi let out a scream, and Odd jr jumped back. The dead wait of a human body fell to the floor and fell face first to the ground. Odd jr cautiously walked over to the body and tried to see if he was alive. He wasn't. Flipping him over he saw he knew who it was.

Seeing blood on the back of the shirt he said, " Toby Miller."

" Who?"

" The man xana drained. Maybe we can put him back in the scanner and give him back his information." Odd jr picked him up and threw him back into the scanner then found the ladder to the lab.

" Mom, come on." Sissi walked over to him and followed him up to the lab as they tried to find the monitor. After a minute of searching through the wires and debris they found it. Sissi turned it on, and began to give Toby back his life.

---

Four hours later, Toby Miller opened his eyes and looked around where he was. He was in the hospital, and didn't know why. The nurse in the room was checking his IV and looked down at him.

" Oh your awake Mr. Miller." The woman said checking his pulse. " Seems normal, do you feel any pain." After noticing he didn't, he shook his head.

" How did I get here?" Toby asked, not sure himself.

" A young man brought you in. He found you passed out on the streets," Looking over to the door she saw Odd jr walk in, " Speak of the devil."

" Hey Mr. Miller. You okay man, I found you on the street out of it." Odd jr said to him. Odd jr had a drink in his hand and took a sip of it, placing the cap back on. " How you feeling?"

" Okay I guess," He said, wondering how he really felt. Odd jr had his mother take away the new memory Xana had added. It was up to date till the day Xana took him. Walking down the hall Keiko saw Odd jr and walked in the room.

" There you are your dad's looking for you," She said, noticing a rather handsome man sitting in that bed.

" Thanks. Well I need to go," Odd jr said to Toby before leaving him and Keiko alone. Stopping at the door, he was hoping one of them would say something.

" What's your name?" Toby asked Keiko. Keiko looked at the man addressing her. He told him her name. " Why are you here?"

" My brother's here, so I'm just checking on him. Why are you here?" Keiko asked, thinking it polite to reply the question.

" To be honest, I'm not sure." Keiko giggled and Toby smiled. ' Good start.' Odd said before walking away.

---

About a month later Xi had been out of the hospital for a two weeks and was in his room doing his homework when a knock came at his door.

" It's open." Angela stepped into the room nervously as Odd jr looked at her. He knew why she was nervous. Pretending to check his watch for the time he stood up.

" I need to go," Odd jr said, closing the door behind him. Angela walked over and kissed Xi like she always did. Xi could tell when she was nervous. The most obvious sign was her kissing.

" What is it?" Xi asked her. Angela looked at him, about to cry. Xi hugged her then let her cry it out some, before he asked again. " What is it?" Deciding it best to not prolong this she swallowed hard and told him. " Your pregnant...oh shit." Xi said aloud.

" I know. What're we going to do?" Angela asked him, him usually making the decisions.

" You could get an abortion," He suggested. Her reply was a slap. " Or not."

" No way in hell our baby is not going to be born. I'm having it, whether your with me or not," Angela said to him, holding his hands. " What about money, and everything else we need to raise a baby."

" I'll drop out of college."

" No Xi. Your going. We have a better shot at this if at least one of us has a full education."

" The college I got into is in Germany. The college my dad went to, my grandfather, his father. It's a legacy." Xi looked at her, seeing he couldn't leave her. " I'll just have to let them down."

" Your going to college!" Angela shouted at him.

" I'll go to a closer one. The university outside of the city. It's close, and within my scholarship range." Angela hugged him tightly, tears in her eyes. " What about you?"

" I'll try my best to do both. Night school, whatever it takes. Remember though, being a good mother is my new priority." Angela realized she had just given up on her dream since fifth grade. Getting into a good college was her goal, and with her grades she could walk onto any campus. Then she had to end that dream to start another. She loved Xi. She knew one day in the future, marriage and kids might happen. She hadn't expected it to be the near future.

" We're going to be okay," Xi said to her. " It'll start rough, but I promise that after we get through the hard part, we'll come out of this better than we went in." Angela looked up at him.

" You promise?" She asked, really needing to hear some good news.

" I promise."

_**The ending to part two of my trilogy. This was edited so the Third part of the trilogy is titled Timeline and has about nine chapters thus far. To see how it continues, read that.**_


	29. Deleted Scenes

Deleted scenes for Past Present and Future.

To begin this deleted scenes section, I'll start with changes from the original copy and the recently updated one. The original chapter three was cut in half and now takes up two chapters, increasing the story's length to twenty eight chapters. It was a basic editing process, that took me at least a total of eight hours. I guess I wrote the story in hurry, because the grammar was ridicules.

_**Alternate Events...**_

To be honest, the story I wrote as I saw it with little changes to the original thought. Some things I debated on myself with and in the end something had to win.

1. In the original plan, Charlie lived till the end. Instead of being killed by xana in defence headquarters he escaped with Lili and was one of the lyoko generals. I killed him, because I really couldn't place him anywhere in the war or the resistance without distracting and taking away attention from who I wanted it to shine on.

2. Kat was originally supposed to be the information leak. She was tricked into helping the CEA with the thought they would repair sector six allowing her to go back in time and save her family. When she was next to the scanner, Travis shot her.

3. Travis and Lili didn't have romance seconds from death. They were already together. Since in the original Kat was the leak, Amber's character was never created. So with no Amber Travis needed a love interest, so Lili was the only one left. It's a forbidden love, them being first cousins.

_**Alternate Ending**_

1. In the original there wasn't a raid on the base. The information leak was present but the lyoko compound wasn't attacked. The plot was the Travis, Lili, Ben, and Odd jr breaking into a CEA research lab and stealing enough machinery to repair sector six. They do so, and before Odd jr was about to go to the year he was originally going to, Kat is revealed as the leak and shoots Odd jr before he gets in. He went back to the day xana was beaten and erased, and he told them about the fail safe, before the shot from Kat killed him.

Everything went back to normal, Xi was never attacked, and I planned to pick it up in Timeline. Either ending could have been used make Timeline, but I went with the original ending.

Sequel/Prequel

The Future isn't written is the first part of the adventure. Though the stories can probably stand alone, they all puzzle piece themselves into a storyline that is revealed as it goes.

Timeline is the third and final part of the trilogy. It's been out for several months, and compared to the others, isn't doing half bad. My theory is that the reason they don't review so much, is because they're rated M, and things review better at T.

Stats

Favs-9

Alerts-4

Reviews-24

Hits-2561

c2's-1

Not my best story, but review wise it did better than the first but wasn't as praised by my readers.

Recent updates

Non related about the story. As I said was possible in the final chapter for Nightmares of the past, As you wish might become a trilogy. I have confirmed it will be. I have a plot, though I haven't started typing it yet. Keep your eyes open. My working title is Cold Blood.


End file.
